Severus' Rose Year 2
by WrittenWord1
Summary: Elizabeth returns to Hogwarts for her second year. Sequel to Severus' Rose Year 1.
1. Birthdays

If someone had told Severus Snape a few years before that he would be sneaking into a child's room in the middle of the night with a carrot cupcake… he would have called the people at St. Mungo's to come and get them.

And yet, there he was, two minutes to midnight on July 30th, cupcake in hand, poking his head in his daughter's bedroom door. Walking lightly, he crept to the side of the bed, careful to avoid the squeaky spot on the floor near the foot of the bed, thinking that he should have removed his shoes. He was so focused on being quiet that he didn't realize…

"Dad?"

He nearly dropped the cupcake. "What are you doing awake?" _Master spy: caught by a twelve-year-old. Eleven-year-old. For 2 more minutes anyway._

"What are you doing in my room?"

Severus scowled, more from being caught than from the question. "I gave you life, young lady, I can be in your room whenever I want." He sat on the edge of her bed. "Happy birthday, hatchling." He lit the candle on the cupcake with his wand. "Your grandmother assured me that I was insane, that I must have misunderstood that your favorite cake is carrot." He handed her the cupcake once she sat up.

"It's mostly the frosting," Elizabeth said happily, pulling a lump of the white cream off the top and popping it in her mouth.

"You have to blow out the candle, silly child. And make a wish." He watched her close her eyes and blow out the candle. "What did you wish for?"

"I can't tell you," she grinned cheekily. "It's supposed to be a secret."

"This is what I get for giving you sugar in the middle of the night," he ruffled her hair, vanishing the candle and cupcake wrapper so she could eat.

"The best birthday ever," she said, biting into the cake.

Severus smiled sadly and moved to sit against her headboard, putting his arm around his twelve-year-old. "I'm still pretty partial to the one when you turned zero," he said, watching her finish the cupcake. He leaned back and looked at the ceiling, running the past over in his mind.

"It was the middle of the night," he began, feeling Elizabeth curl into him, encouraging the story. "Your mother shook me awake and told me that we needed to go to the hospital." He smirked. "I asked her if she could hold off for a few hours, but—

"Dad!"

"Just kidding." Elizabeth rolled her eyes and Severus' smirk expanded to a rare grin. "Anyway, we went to the hospital, and I spent the next 9 hours having my hand broken as your mother squeezed it." He held up his right hand for her inspection. "It seems to have healed nicely. I told your mother that she could break whatever she wanted to, as long as she was the one who gave birth to a human being." He grinned at the memory. "So you were born. A beautiful, pink, little baby. A little messy," he teased. "But they cleaned you up and wrapped you in a blanket, and I discovered that my hours of talking to you through Lily's stomach, playing music to you, reading Potion magazines, and discussing world issues had not improved your conversation skills. You just looked up at me with those eyes and gurgled."

"I was a baby!"

"That you were." He smiled. "You were a girl, so we named you Elizabeth Rose."

"What was I going to be if I was a boy?"

"Henry. We hadn't decided on a middle name."

"Did you want a boy?"

Severus frowned. "What kind of question is that?" Elizabeth shrugged. "I wanted a healthy baby. No parent has a preference beyond that." He leaned conspiratorially toward her. "But just between you and I; I was hoping that you were a girl. Now," he looked at her with mock severity. "Are you going to keep interrupting me?" She shook her head vigorously.

"As I was saying, you looked at me and gurgled. I held you while your mother went to sleep, and then I realized something." He paused. "This is the time when you ask 'What did you realize, Dad?'"

"I was being quiet."

"A minor miracle," he teased. "I realized that I was absolutely terrified."

"Why?"

"Why?" Severus smoothed her hair. "Because I didn't have any idea what to do with you. Suddenly, the baby book that I'd been reading seemed useless." He smiled again. "So I spent the next hour counting your fingers and toes over and over. An even dozen of both, I was happy to see."

"Dad!"

"What?" Severus feigned surprise. "Let me see." He made a show of counting her fingers. "You lost 2 somewhere." He smirked as she rolled her eyes again. "Anyway, it hadn't occurred to me until that moment that I had no plan for how to bring you home."

"You can't floo with a newborn baby, and you certainly can't apparate." He grinned at her shudder. "You wouldn't have liked it anymore as a baby than you do now, I'd expect." He watched her yawn and lean her head on his shoulder. "You should go back to sleep."

"No," she said, closing her eyes. "you have to get me home."

Shifting her so she wasn't putting his arm to sleep, he continued. "You were lucky, because Remus was thinking more clearly than I was, and had rented a Muggle car to drive us back to the house. Lucky for me, Remus knows how to drive, or I wouldn't have been able to spend the trip diligently assuring that you were in the possession of eyes, a nose, eyelids, fingernails, toenails—

"Dad!" Elizabeth poked him in the side.

"Right. We brought you home and you proceeded to make the next year of my life very loud." He dropped a kiss on her head. "I am sorry that your birthdays have been… less than ideal."

"It's okay, Dad."

"No it is not." Severus shook his head. "But I will do everything in my power to assure that those in the future are as pleasant as possible." He moved so he could lay her against the pillows and pull the blankets back up to her chin. "I wish I'd been there, hatchling."

"I love you, Dad," she mumbled, as her eyelids grew heavy.

"I love you too, Rosie."

*S*S*

Elizabeth's twelfth birthday did not come with the trauma that her eleventh had. Severus had steeled himself to have to cajole her from her room when Remus, Albus, and Minerva arrived. He almost choked on his coffee when she skipped down the stairs and into Remus' arms.

"Happy birthday, Sevling." Remus spun her around.

"Dad says that Ron and Hermione can come for dinner tonight."

_So that's it_, Severus thought to himself. He hadn't originally orchestrated the friend-dinner as a bargaining chip for the earlier part of the day, but if it made her tolerate Albus, he wasn't complaining.

"Yes," he drawled from his armchair. "I have sentenced myself to three Gryffindors for the evening. Heaven help me."

"You promised you'd be nice, Dad!"

He smirked. "I will indeed be, _nice_, my girl." He turned to Albus. "Alright, father. You can give her your present."

Elizabeth settled on the couch and immediately found herself with a box on her lap. She looked at her father, the first sign of nerves all morning, and he nodded. "Go ahead, hatchling. I made sure to check it for child-appropriateness this time."

Albus snorted. "You'll never get over that Cloak, will you?"

Severus rolled his eyes. "An item that makes it easier for my danger magnet daughter to seek out more trouble? No. I won't."

"Dad took it," Elizabeth said, pulling the ribbon off the box.

"Severus!" Albus raised an eyebrow at his son.

"Don't you dare say anything, you crazy old man. She was almost killed."

"Both of you, stop it." Minerva said crossly. "Open your gift, lion."

Elizabeth neatly pulled off the bright wrapping, folding it before opening the top of the box. Inside, was a pure white, fluffy kitten. She looked at Albus, then at her father.

"Father! There were books in that box when I looked earlier!" Severus scowled at Dumbledore.

"Oh relax, Sev. She takes care of her owl, doesn't she?"

"An owl is not at all the same." Severus argued.

"Albus, I thought you asked Severus…" Minerva threw up her hands in irritation.

"She likes it!" Albus didn't look at Elizabeth to confirm this.

As the other adults bickered, Remus turned to his goddaughter. "What are you going to name him?"

"Are you sure it's a him?" Elizabeth raised an eyebrow at the kitten, as if expecting it to answer.

Remus raised his wand. "Gendious." He ran the tip of the wand down the animal's back until it turned blue. "Boy."

Elizabeth shot the arguing adults another look. "Do you think Dad will let me keep him?"

Remus grinned. "I don't think that even your father could muster the strength he would need to take a kitten away from you. What's done is done, although he may not speak to Albus for awhile. So," he asked again. "What is his name?"

Elizabeth carefully extracted the cat from the box. Before Remus finished vanishing the packaging, the animal had curled up on her lap and fallen asleep. "Casper," she said, stroking its soft fur.

"Casper?" Remus looked confused, but Elizabeth didn't answer, just stood and walked with the cat over to Severus.

She held the cat up to him. "Can I keep him?"

Severus sighed. "I suppose you've named him already?"

She perched on the arm of his chair. "Casper."

Severus laughed. "As in the friendly ghost?" He looked at the other adults, all wearing the same confused look as Remus. "It's a Muggle cartoon. Casper is a ghost with a friendly disposition, as opposed to… other ghosts, I suppose."

Elizabeth nodded. "My second grade teacher used to play us the cartoons. It was really old."

"It was probably from the 50s. Maybe the 40s. Hardly 'really old'." Severus held out his hand and Elizabeth set the little cat in his palm. "Now listen," he scowled at the cat. "You, under no circumstances, are to become a nuisance, do you understand?" Casper tipped his head to the side as if listening. "I've little time to deal with feline antics. You belong to her," he pointed at Elizabeth, "and so I don't want to see you into anything that doesn't belong to her. Do I make myself clear?" Casper yawned and jumped from Severus' hand to his lap, curling up and returning to sleep.

Severus scowled again. "Your cat listens about as well as you do, Elizabeth Rose."

"He likes you," Elizabeth grinned.

"He likes depositing his hair all over my clothing," Severus muttered, but did not move to evict the kitten from his lap.

Elizabeth turned her eyes to Albus. "Thank you, professor."

"You're welcome." Dumbledore fought to keep a serene look on his face. The gift hadn't had his desired result. His "granddaughter" was no closer to accepting him. He believed the prophecy, that he would control the child through her father, but he'd wanted a back up connection of sorts. Unfortunately, it seemed to be Lupin who had established a relationship with the girl. He'd have to determine how that bond could be useful. Or how it could be destroyed.

"This," Severus said, handing her a silver wrapped box, "is from me."

"Thank you, Dad." She leaned against the back of the chair, astounded that he hadn't reminded her that the arms of furniture were not for sitting. She untied the box and carefully removed the paper as before, folding it.

Under the paper, there was a necklace, from which hung a tiny clear sphere surrounding what appeared to be a pinwheelish contraption.

"It's a sneakoscope," he said. "It spins when you shouldn't trust someone…" he smirked as he helped her hang it around her neck. "The catch is, you have to listen to it. You shouldn't be anywhere or with anyone that causes it to spin."

Elizabeth rolled her eyes, but fingered the little globe, intrigued. "So it senses danger?"

"Not exactly." Severus vanished the wrappings. "It senses untrustworthiness. Some people say that it isn't exactly foolproof, but maybe it will inspire you to look twice."

"Severus," Albus raised an eyebrow. "It is necessary to turn a birthday gift into a cautionary tale?"

"Thank you, dad." Elizabeth kissed him on the cheek. She dropped the necklace into the neck of her shirt, so the pendant rested securely on her chest. As she walked past Albus to Remus, who was holding out a final box, she didn't notice her new jewelry hum to life.

"What is it?" She asked in wonder as the tissue fell away around her last present. It looked a little like a clock, but there was only one hand, and it didn't appear to be moving.

"It's a lunascope," Remus explained. "It tracks the moon." He pointed at the hand. "When it points straight up, the moon will be full that night. I added two marks," Elizabeth spotted the silver markings, each an inch or so on either side of dead center of the top of the face. "When the hand is between those marks, it isn't safe for you to be near me. Understand?"

"Now who's turning a gift into a cautionary tale?" Severus smirked at Albus.

"Thank you," Elizabeth placed the lunascope gently on the table and embraced her godfather.

"You are most welcome, sweetheart." Remus kissed her forehead. "Happy Birthday."

"I believe we were promised cake?" Albus said, looking around.

Severus rolled his eyes at his father's childlike attitude, but summoned Francy. "Cake it is." He glared at the cat, still in his lap. "No cake for you."

*S*S*

Elizabeth was woken from a deep sleep by the crack of apparation and the shift of her bed as someone or something landed on it. Opening her eyes, she saw, at the end of her bed, a house elf.

At first, she thought it was Francy. But it the elf lacked the general disapproval that Francy always exuded, as if Elizabeth wasn't nearly as loveable now that she'd grown from being a baby.

"Who are you?"

The elf blinked. "Elizabeth Evans! Asking me my name! Such an honor it is!" The elf's eyes welled with tears.

"Don't cry!" Elizabeth sat all the way up. "I'm sorry."

"Apologizing to Dobby!" The little creature had thrown himself on the floor by the point, wailing.

"Shhh!" Elizabeth begged the elf. Her father was a notoriously light sleeper—

"What is going on in here?" The door flew open to reveal Severus, black pajama bottoms and T-shirt rumpled from sleep, wand drawn. "Petrificus Totalus!" Dobby the house elf lay on the floor in a full body bind, and Severus turned to Elizabeth. "Are you alright?"

She nodded. "Is he Francy's friend?"

Severus frowned. "Francy!"

"Yes, Master Severus?" Francy arrived with a pop, and suddenly Elizabeth felt that her bedroom was very small.

"Who is this?" Severus gestured to the elf on the floor.

Francy looked down at the other elf and made a face. "That's Dobby, sir. He serves the Malfoys."

Severus kept his wand drawn. Anything from Malfoy Manor was cause for concern.

"Unfreeze him, Dad." Elizabeth was still on her bed, her knees pulled up to her chest.

"Did he say what he wanted?"

Elizabeth shrugged. "He was too busy being upset because I asked him his name."

Francy made a noise that Elizabeth assumed was the elf version of a snort. "Makes me ashamed to be an elf, he does." She poked the immobile creature with a toe. "Needs some self respect. Though I don't know how he'd get it, serving that family. There's evil in that house, Miss Rosie."

"Don't call me that," Elizabeth mumbled, looking down at the elf. "Please, Dad? Unfreeze him?"

Severus pressed his lips together, then raised his wand. "Hatchling, go to my room, please."

"Dad, he didn't seem to want to hurt me—

"Elizabeth, do as you're told." He gestured at the door, his expression that one he usually reserved for students playing around in the lab. She knew better than to mess with that face.

"Fine." She said, shoulders sagging as she went into her father's bedroom.

Severus, ignoring the obvious sound of his daughter throwing her weight onto the bed, turned back to the frozen elf. He reversed his previous spell and as the elf moved back to life, he immediately cast an anti-apparation jinx.

"Please, sir! Don't freeze Dobby again!" The elf quivered, and Francy rolled her eyes.

"What kind of elf lets a wizard freeze him," the female elf grumbled.

"That's enough, Francy," Severus said sharply before turning his glare on the elf that didn't belong to him. "Who sent you, elf?"

"No one sent Dobby, sir! Please, let me go!"

"You broke through the wards to come into my daughter's room in the middle of the night, you wretched creature." Severus still pointed his wand at the elf. "If you want a chance of going home in one piece, you'll explain yourself to my satisfaction."

"Please, sir, Dobby cannot be telling Professor Snape what caused him to come!"

Severus stepped forward and grasped the elf by his pillowcase and lifted him up. "It is unfortunate for you that you've chosen to infiltrate a home that has both substantial store of Veritaserum and a man who has no qualms shoving it down your throat." He glared at the elf. "Or maybe I should just go into your head, hmm? See what kind of occlumens you are."

Dobby squeaked in fear. "Dobby cannot betray his family, sir!"

Severus' voice dropped to a deadly quiet. "Let me assure you, 'Dobby', that your master's wrath is nothing compared to the pain I inflict on those threatening my daughter."

Dobby paled. "Dobby came to keep Elizabeth Evans from danger!"

"What danger?" Severus growled.

"Elizabeth Evans must not return to Hogwarts this year! It is not safe!"

"What do you mean it isn't safe?" Severus gripped the pillowcase tighter.

"There is a plot," Dobby wailed. "Dobby will have to punish himself for telling Professor Snape."

"What kind of plot, Dobby?"

"Terrible things are going to happen this year, sir! Please! She must stay where it is safe!"

Severus dropped the elf. "What _kind_ of terrible things?"

"Dobby cannot tell…" Dobby started to beat his head against the floor.

"Alright, alright, you miserable creature." Severus shook his head. "I'm going to release your apparation ability, and you are going to go home and leave us in peace. Elizabeth will be returning to Hogwarts this year, regardless of whatever your depraved master and his nefarious band of followers are planning. They are chasing a dead wizard."

"Dobby thinks Professor Snape should be careful…"

"Go back to your master, Dobby." He removed the jinx, and Dobby immediately apparated away.

Rubbing his hand over his face, and wishing for the hundredth time in the recent past that times were not quite as… dark as they seemed to be, Severus strode out of the room and into his, where he found his blankets had been pulled up from where he'd thrown them back… and were now securely covering a bump that he suspected had green eyes.

"I told her to go to sleep," Lily's portrait explained from the bedside table.

"And that worked?" Severus asked dryly, sitting on the bed and eyeing the bump, which was right in the middle of the king sized mattress.

"It's the middle of the night." Lily said simply, as if that was an explanation for her daughter sleeping. Severus shook his head.

"I'm aware." He pulled the blankets back and debated this course of action. Sending her to her own bed could cause an outpouring of questions about the evening events, but leaving her where she was meant a bad night's sleep for both of them.

In the end he decided to risk it, levitating her into her own bed before tucking her in. Back in his own room, he lay awake, running the house elf's warning over and over in his head. A plot.

*S*S*

"Who is Gilderoy Lockhart?" Elizabeth examined her Hogwarts letter with no less interest than she had the year before.

Severus looked up from the book he was reading. "I have no idea. Why?"

"Almost all the books on the list are by him."

"All? You should only have 2 texts this year," Severus said, reaching for the letter. "The second year spell book and whatever text the new Defense professor has assigned."

"Fred says that you wanted to be the Defense teacher."

"Hmm?" Severus perused the list. "And how exactly does Mr. Weasley know anything about my career aspirations?"

"I dunno, he just mentioned it."

"You shouldn't believe everything you hear," Severus raised an eyebrow at the parchment.

_Second-year students will require: _

_The Standard Book of Spells, Grade 2 by Miranda Goshawk _

_Break with a Banshee by Gilderoy Lockhart _

_Gadding with Ghouls by Gilderoy Lockhart _

_Holidays with Hags by Gilderoy Lockhart_

_Travels with Trolls by Gilderoy Lockhart _

_Voyages with Vampires by Gilderoy Lockhart _

_Wanderings with Werewolves by Gilderoy Lockhart _

_Year with the Yeti by Gilderoy Lockhart_

"Whoever the new professor is, he or she must be a fan of this Lockhart." Severus shook his head. He'd made it a point, in his career, to require students to buy a minimal amount of books and supplies. He remembered his mother, during those first three years of Hogwarts, scrimping to find the money for his education, and was keenly aware that many of his students were in the same situation. Asking a family like the Weasleys to buy seven books for one class was irresponsible.

"The Weasleys are going to Diagon Alley tomorrow, and Hermione says she's going as well—

"And I said that we would go, did I not?" Severus handed her list back.

"Yes, sir."

"So you weren't, by any chance, going to ask for the 300th time if we were going, were you?"

Elizabeth grinned. "Maybe…"

"We will go. We will buy your books, and anything else you need. In fact, I want you to try on your uniform tonight so I can see if we need to replace it."

Elizabeth skipped off up the stairs while Severus shook his head and returned to his book.

*S*S*

"Dad, he's so sad!" Elizabeth lay on the floor, her nose against the door of the crate that held Casper.

"My daughter, the cat whisperer," Severus shook his head. "He will be fine, Elizabeth. We will return to find both your obnoxious fur ball and our home intact."

"He's not obnoxious, Dad." Elizabeth leveled her mini-Snape glare at him.

"He's hairy and disobedient."

"You don't make me keep Hedwig in her cage."

"The owl has the decency and intelligence to follow the rules, something I despair the feline will ever do." Severus strode purposefully to the floo.

"He can follow directions." Elizabeth pulled herself off the floor and followed her father.

"Oh really?" Severus raised his eyebrow. "Did you, by chance, direct the ball of fluff to join me in my bed last night?"

Elizabeth tried to hide her grin, and was unsuccessful. "No, sir."

"You didn't give the oversized cotton ball directions to curl up next to my head, systematically pushing me off my own pillow?"

Elizabeth was laughing outright now. "No," she managed around her giggles.

"Well then, my child, it seems that your white rat is in fact as disobedient as I have previously stated." He tossed powder into the fireplace.

"He's not a rat!" Elizabeth rolled her eyes. "Ron has a rat. It's disgusting."

"And I've no doubt that the rodent could best your Q-tip end in a fight."

"Dad!"

Severus smirked. "Are you ready to go, or do I have to stand here and continue to come up with cotton-themed euphemisms for your weevil feed?" Elizabeth looked confused. "A weevil is a parasite that infests the cotton plant. Never mind." Severus pointed to the floo. "Speak clearly, please."

Elizabeth thrust her hip out it classic teenage personification of irritation. "Dad! I can do it!" Her track record with the floo was not spectacular. Severus was beginning to think that his daughter had a very specific type of speech impediment. Floo-induced lisping. Or something. Every time she'd gone anywhere, except home or Remus' house, she ended up somewhere else. Severus had wondered if she would ever be able to travel successfully. Between losing her stomach every time she apparated and ending up dirty and lost out of the floo, she was looking toward a future of Muggle transportation.

This trip did not break a trend.

When Severus arrived in Diagon Alley to find the area devoid of green-eyed child, he groaned. Where could she have ended up? Searching the immediate area and finding nothing, he turned back to the floo. Grabbing another handful of powder, he threw it into the flames, going one more grate, hoping… or maybe not hoping… that she'd ended up on the dodgy end of town.

*S*S*

Elizabeth had indeed ended up on the dodgy end of town. Falling out of the floo, covered in soot, she found herself in a dark and dusty shop. She'd fallen face first, tears welling in her eyes as she stood, not only because her nose was already starting to swell, but because her glasses were broken. That, mixed with the shame of once again missing her exit in the floo almost pulled her into a well of self-pity until she heard the door of the shop open.

Looking up quickly, fully expecting to see her father, she was disappointed to see a different tall figure. She didn't recognize the man, but she didn't have to wait long to determine his identity. Draco Malfoy followed the man in, whining about wanting something from the shop.

If Elizabeth had been on the receiving end of the glare Draco got from his father, she would have shut her mouth forever. Severus' angry look could peel paint off walls, and his lectures would convince a saint that he'd done something wrong, but whenever her father glared at her, she could always see the concern behind the scowl. The elder Malfoy looked like he'd sooner hex his child than hug him.

She crouched behind an old trunk, something telling her that she didn't want to be seen. Even though she had only one working lens, she could see that Draco came by his nasty disposition honestly. The glasses… she was supposed to take care of them. Tears threatened to spill over again, obscuring her vision even further.

From what she could hear, Draco was whining and his father was selling… something. The shop keeper and the other wizard argued furiously for a few moments before Malfoy seemed to decide that he was finished, snapping up the parchment they'd been haggling over, and swept out with his son in tow. The shopkeeper grumbled his way into a backroom and closed the door.

Elizabeth tried to blink back the tears, but only succeeded in making them spill down her cheeks. She was lost, there were no friendly faces to be seen, and even if she made it home, Severus was going to be furious about the glasses. She took them off from where they were dangling and looked down at the broken lens and nose-piece.

She nearly jumped out of her skin when a hand closed on her shoulder.

"Elizabeth Rose," Severus' voice came from above her, "what am I going to do with you?"

"I'm sorry!" Severus found himself with a crying twelve-year-old latched to his waist.

"For what?" Thinking for a moment that he'd lost most of his dignity in the past year, he knelt down to look at her. "It's alright, hatchling. We will practice."

"I fell…" she sniffled.

"Are you all right?" Severus swept her with his wand. "You have quite a bruise on your nose."

Elizabeth shook her head and held out her hand, tentatively opening it to reveal the broken glasses. "I'm sorry, Dad. I didn't mean to."

Severus closed his eyes, reminding himself that Elizabeth, when upset, was very serious, and would not appreciate him laughing. "Oh, Elizabeth. Come with me." He threw powder into the flames and led her back into the floo and to their intended destination.

Finding an out-of-the-way bench, he sat and gathered the still crying girl onto his lap. She'd grown considerably taller over the last year, but she'd inherited his almost-too-thin body type. "Hush. I can fix your glasses." He waved his wand and murmured the incantation. "See?" He held up the intact spectacles and used his handkerchief to wipe the tears from her face. "It's alright, hatchling, it was an accident."

The fixed glasses seemed to only slightly ease his daughter's distress. He tucked the delicate frames into the pocket of his robes as she buried her face in his chest.

It was really not a tribute to Snape's intellect that it took him whole minutes to understand what was going on.

"You were afraid."

"I didn't know where I was, and my nose hurt, and my glasses broke, and there was stuff everywhere, and it was dark, and Draco's dad was really mean—

"Draco's dad?" Severus stopped the flood of words from his daughter.

"He and Draco were in the shop," Elizabeth explained, still half mumbling into his robes. "Draco was being a prat—

"Elizabeth." Severus raised a stern eyebrow.

"Sorry, but he was." Elizabeth looked up at him with puffy eyes. "And his dad was selling stuff. He said that the Ministry is raiding houses, but I don't know what that means."

Severus knew very well what it meant, but he didn't see a reason to explain it to his daughter. "You should avoid Lucius Malfoy if you can. He has some very dark connections." He kissed her forehead and set her on the ground.

That was no problem for Elizabeth, who never wanted to see the man again. "I don't want to floo anymore."

Severus sighed. "Hatchling, I know you were scared, but you'll get the hang of it eventually. I'll always find you, understand? I'll never let you be really lost." He held her shoulders. "When we go back, we'll go together, but you can say the destination. That way, we'll end up at the same place, even if it isn't home." He stood. "But now, you have friends waiting." He held out his hand, willing to take the rejection he knew was coming because he was still a little shaken at losing track of her.

But instead of the usual "DAD!" he got when he offered his hand, Elizabeth latched on to him. He could feel her still shaking, and changed his hold, putting his arm securely around her shoulders. "We can go home, you know." Elizabeth opened her mouth to answer him, but she was interrupted when they heard a shout.


	2. Lockhart

"Elizabeth!" Ron and Hermione were bounding toward them, the Weasley family and Hermione's parents behind them.

Elizabeth hurriedly shrugged off Severus' arm and ran forward to meet her friends, while Severus rolled his eyes. _Nothing more embarrassing than being hugged in public_, he thought, wishing again that he hadn't missed the time when she didn't mind if people saw her with him.

"We're on our way to Flourish and Blotts," Hermione informed them. "Hello, Professor Snape."

"Miss Granger," Severus inclined his head. "Mr. Weasley."

"My mum says we can go ahead if we stay together," Ron said, in way of greeting.

"Dad?" Elizabeth looked up at him. "We'll be careful, I promise."

Severus frowned, while the rest of the Weasley children ran up. "Hey, Professor," the twins chorused.

Percy followed, holding Ginny's hand at a slower pace. "Good morning, Professor."

"Good morning, Mr. Weasley," Severus leaned down to look at his daughter. "Be careful, go only to the bookstore." He paused. "And stay with Percy."

Elizabeth rolled her eyes, but nodded. "Thank you!" And the children were off, toward the bookstore.

Severus walked back toward the adults. He exchanged good mornings with the Weasleys, pulling Arthur away from Mr. Granger as the wizard pumped the other man for Muggle information.

"Severus, these are Hermione's parents, Jean and Emma Granger," Molly introduced. "This is Severus Snape, the children's Potions professor."

"Pleased to meet you," Emma Granger, extended her hand. "You're Elizabeth's father?"

Severus shook her hand and her husband's. "I am. I'm sorry we weren't able to meet this summer."

"Hermione assured us that we could use the… flow?" Jean looked confused.

"Floo," Severus supplied.

"Yes, the floo. She said that we could use it, Muggles or not, but we decided that we were just not adventurous enough."

"We really aren't the kind of people that send our child to a house when we've never met the parents," Emma added. "But you're a teacher at the school, so it seemed silly to quibble over it."

"Yes. Well," Severus was unsure what to say to this monologue. "I need to stop by the bank before the book shop."

"We were just on our way there," Molly said. "The Grangers need to exchange their Muggle money."

"I never can remember all this Wizarding money…" Jean poked through his pockets, and

Severus resisted rolling his eyes. Clearly, Hermione's intelligence was not genetic. "29 knuts to a sickle, 17 sickles in a galleon. It's just like Muggle money, just different denominations. 4 farthings to a pence, 12 pence in a shilling, 5 shillings in a crown, 4 crowns in a pound." He looked at his companions, and saw that he'd only succeed in confusing all of them, the Grangers with the Wizarding money and the Weasleys with the Muggle money. "Nevermind."

*S*S*

"You were in Knockturn Alley?" Ron looked at Elizabeth in awe.

"Oh Elizabeth, you weren't! There are terrible things down there!" Hermione was already worked up into a rule-breaking induced tizzy because Ron had insisted on stopping at the Quiddich store. "Professor Snape said to go straight to the bookstore!" She'd protested, but the other two were busy looking in the windows.

"It wasn't that big of a deal," Elizabeth shrugged, emboldened by her current state of safety. "Malfoy's dad was there, at Borgin and Bukes."

"As if they don't have enough money already," Hermione glanced down the street. "Percy is really far ahead."

"Relax, Hermione." Elizabeth turned to Ron. "You want to go in? We probably have time."

"You are out of time," Severus' voice floated over her shoulder.

"Hi, Dad." Elizabeth grimaced.

"Hello, indeed." His hand settled on her back. "Come along, before you outright disobey me instead of just hovering on the edge."

"Elizabeth," Mr. Weasley's voice had lost it's enthusiasm he'd been using to discuss bicycles with Mr. Granger. "Did Lucius buy anything?"

"Draco's dad? No, he was selling—

"So he's worried." Arthur mused. "I'd love to get Lucius Malfoy on something…"

"Careful, Arthur," Mrs. Weasley warned. "That family's trouble. Don't go biting off more than you can chew—

"Molly," Severus cut her off. "Maybe there is a more appropriate conversation in front of the children?"

Mrs. Weasley looked slightly abased. "Of course, you're right, Severus. Nevermind, Arthur. Ron, do you have your book list?"

Ron handed it over as they neared the bookshop.

"What is going on here?" Severus raised an eyebrow at the over-crowded store. Elizabeth scanned the crowd, and then looked up to see a banner stretched above the door.

GILDEROY LOCKHART

Will be signing copies of his autobiography

_MAGICAL ME_

Today 12:30 P.M. to 4:30 P.M.

"Oh, Ginny, look!" Mrs. Weasley had seen the banner as well. "We'll get to meet him!"

Elizabeth glanced at Hermione and found her in a similar state of excitement. In fact, every witch around her was suddenly patting her hair. She looked up at her father, who raised an eyebrow and tilted his head slightly. "It seems that your earlier question is about to be answered."

"Who is Gilderoy Lockhart?" Ron asked.

"Honestly, Ron! Don't you know anything?"

"Hermione," her mother scolded. "Be nice."

"Sorry, Mum, but he wrote like the entire book list." Hermione said, not looking sorry at all.

The pack pushed their way into the store while Elizabeth hung back. Severus pulled her to his side. "I know how you feel, hatchling. Let's get in and out, alright?" She nodded vigorously. They made their way to the front of the store, where Severus pointed out _The Standard Book of Spells, Grade 2_ for Elizabeth to pick up.

Severus then steered her towards the back of the store where the rest of their group was huddled.

"Oh, there you are," Mrs. Weasley was brushing invisible dust off her robes. "We'll be able to see him in a minute…"

Gilderoy Lockhard was sitting at a table surrounded by large pictures of his own face, wearing blue robes that matched his eyes.

"Hey!" Ron was jostled by a photographer looking for a better shot.

"Out of the way, there," the man growled. "This is for the Daily Prophet."

Ron made a face that made it clear what he thought of the Daily Prophet. In response to the commotion, Lockhart looked up from the book he was signing, his gaze traveling from Ron to… "It can't be Elizabeth Evans!"

Before Severus could block for her, Lockhart dived forward, seized her arm, and pulled her to the front. The other witches in the crowd grudgingly clapped, obviously irritated that if Lockhart was going to grab someone, it wasn't them.

Elizabeth's face was on fire as Lockhart put his arm around her.

"Nice big smile, sweetheart," said Lockhart. "Together, you and I are worth the front page."

Severus, seeing his daughter's mortification, stepped in front of the camera and held out his hand for her to take.

"Severus Snape!" Lockhart exclaimed, not relinquishing his hold on the child. "Ladies and gentlemen," he waved his free arm for quiet. "What an extraordinary moment this is! The perfect moment for me to make a little announcement!"

"When little Elizabeth stepped into Flourish and Blotts today, she only wanted to buy my autobiography," he grinned at Mrs. Weasley, and went on in a voice that oozed smoothness, "Three weeks atop the best seller list, so who can blame her?

"When she stepped in here to fulfill a fantasy of so many witches," Elizabeth felt ill. Lockhart rushed on, "she had no idea that she would shortly be getting much, much more than my book. She will, in fact, be getting the real magical me. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, I have great pleasure and pride in announcing that this September, I will be taking up the post of Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry!" He squeezed her shoulder again.

"Yes, not only will Elizabeth be receiving all my books today, and my services as a teacher, but seeing as her father and I will soon be colleagues, she will doubtlessly be receiving mentoring from me throughout the year." He flashed his grin again. "I will be glad to assist this young lady by being the person who treats her as a normal person, as I understand the pain that can come with fame."

Severus' patience was wearing thin. He didn't want a scene, not with photographers there, but the thought of his daughter spending any time with this oily-smooth man made his stomach turn. He stepped forward and held out his hand for Lockhart to shake, forcing him to let go of Elizabeth.

"Welcome to the staff," Severus shot a look at Elizabeth, who fled to the front of the store. Severus untangled himself easily, Lockhart didn't want him, after all, and followed. When he found Elizabeth, she was standing with the Weasley children and Arthur. He looked down at his daughter. "Are you alright?"

Elizabeth shrugged and made a face. "He called me _sweetheart_," the word dripped off her tongue like a profanity.

Severus smirked. "Remus calls you that."

"It is _not_ the same thing," she said, the vehemence in her voice rivaling how she'd spoken to Quirrell.

"I know," Severus took her spell book. "I'll finish in here. Go outside with Mr. Weasley," He glanced at Arthur who nodded.

"It's too crowded in here," Mr. Weasley said, turning to usher Elizabeth and his own children out into the fresh air. But before they could make it outside, they were interrupted.

"Well, well, well— Arthur Weasley."

It was Mr. Malfoy. He stood with his hand on Draco's shoulder, and Elizabeth could see again that Draco had inherited his snippy disposition in addition to his pinched face.

"Lucius," Mr. Weasley was as cold as Elizabeth had ever heard him.

"Busy time at the Ministry, I hear," Lucius sneered. "I'd say you must be doing well… but obviously not," he fished a battered book out of Ginny's cauldron. "Dear me, what's the use of being a disgrace to the name of wizard if they don't even pay you well for it?"

Elizabeth looked around for her father, but could only just make out the top back of his head across the crowd.

A crash made her turn back around to see Mr. Weasley and Draco's dad on top of each other on the floor. Ginny's books had spilled from her cauldron and she was frantically trying to put them back. George was cheering his father on, and Fred was doing a fair amount of encouraging as well, but not before he had one arm around his sister and one around Elizabeth.

"Impedimenta!" Severus' voice snapped like a whip, the spell freezing the two men so that Snape could pull them off each other.

"Brawling, Lucius? Like a common Muggle?" His voice dripped with sarcasm as he dumped the slowly recovering Death Eater on the floor.

Mrs. Weasley was beside him, scolding her equally dazed husband. "A fine example for your children! What Gilderoy Lockhart must have thought…"

"He was pleased," Fred still had a hand on both girls and pushed them through the door and out into the sunshine. "Didn't you hear him? He thinks this will add to his publicity."

Mrs. Weasley pushed a slow moving Arthur outside as well, dodging the quicker-recovering Lucius who swept out the door with Draco in tow. Severus was just behind.

"Thank you, Mr. Wealsey," he nodded at Fred and took Elizabeth's arm. "I think we've had enough excitement for one day." He raised an eyebrow at his daughter. "Ready?"

She nodded. The day hadn't played out the way she'd anticipated.

*S*S*

"I'm going to Hogwarts for the day," Severus said a few days before the term began. "I have less work to do than I thought, so if I go for the next couple of days, you won't have to spend any extra nights in the dungeons."

"I don't mind." Elizabeth had finished breakfast and was laboring over her milk.

"Even so, Remus is coming over to stay for the day while I'm away."

Elizabeth giggled, and Severus raised an eyebrow. "Pardon me?"

Elizabeth shook her head, trying to suppress her laughter. "It rhymed."

"I'm sorry?"

"'Stay for the day while I'm away.'" Elizabeth sing-songed.

Severus raised his eyes to the ceiling. "Heaven help me. Do you think you could remain focused on the content of this conversation and not its poetic value?"

"Sorry," Elizabeth said, looking anything but. "I still don't know why I can't go with you."

"I have a busy day, Elizabeth."

"I could help." Elizabeth sat back in her chair, glaring at her milk.

"You and Remus will have fun here."

Elizabeth knew that was true. For all Remus' bluster, they usually had a good time. Remus was a lot like Severus in many ways, although he wasn't as quick to acid-tongued comments. But since the house elf… Severus had been less enthusiastic about her coming second year.

They'd bought her books and supplies, yes. He'd let her pack her trunk over and over, but they hadn't made plans beyond that, and now he wasn't taking her with him like he had the year before.

"Dad?"

"Hmm?" Severus had moved to the back page of the paper.

"I am going back to school, right?"

Severus took a sharp breath and pushed his chair away from the table. "Come here, hatchling."

Elizabeth, glad to abandon the milk-induced prison chair, went over to stand beside him. Severus put his hands on her shoulders.

"I need to make sure that everything is safe there, Elizabeth. I need to speak with your grandfather about what we can do to make sure…" He looked straight into her eyes. "I have to make sure that it's safe before I can let you go back."

Elizabeth started to feel a little jumpy. "Dad, I have to go back! You can't make me stay home!"

Severus set his jaw. "I won't gamble with your safety, young lady, don't ask me to do so. I will spend time this week assuring that you will be safe at school, and if I deem that it is not, you won't be returning. End of discussion."

Elizabeth scowled. "Do you think I'll be safer here? If someone wants to kill me, they're going to do it no matter what!"

"Elizabeth Rose, I believe I've given my final word on the subject," Severus' glare was fierce, but his child had a glare of her own, and was unwilling to back down.

"Stop protecting me! You didn't protect me when I was a kid, and I was fine!" She shrugged out of his hold. "I finally have friends!"

Severus was quiet, and when he spoke his voice was a deadly calm. "Go to your room. Remus will be here soon. I'll be home for supper." He stood and went into his study, closing the door, leaving her standing in the kitchen alone.

*S*S*

When Remus entered the house at Spinners' End, he could sense that there was something wrong. He couldn't hear Elizabeth jabbering, the light in the Potions lab was off. Investigating deeper, he found a lone glass of milk on the table before he turned and saw the light on under Severus' closed study door.

He knocked, and received no answer.

"Sev?" He knocked again.

"Come in." His friend's tired voice answered.

Remus opened the door to see Severus sitting behind his desk, quill in hand. "Everything alright? Where's Elizabeth?"

"Everything's fine. She's in her room, if she knows what's good for her." Severus put the quill down and stood. "Thank you for staying here today."

"Sev…" Remus looked at the other man quizzically. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing is wrong," Severus gritted his teeth. "My daughter informed me this morning that she got on fine without me for years and that my attempts to protect her now are merely getting in the way of her happiness. So," he gave Remus a tight smile. "I'm off to spend the day assuring that the crazed killer who wants her dead has no way of getting into her school."

Remus frowned. "You want me to talk to her?"

Severus shrugged, a motion that Remus had rarely seen his usually so regal friend make, threw powder into the fireplace in his study and was gone.

Remus took a deep breath and headed upstairs.

Perhaps he could have managed to maintain his stern countenance if he hadn't found her sobbing so brokenly, her tears staining the coverlet beneath her. Casper looked up from where he was crouched beside her head, giving Remus a sorrowful look. Elizabeth didn't hear his knock or his entrance and seemed still oblivious when he sat down on the bed.

"A fine mess you two are in, aren't you?" He commented lightly.

Elizabeth made a sound that he assumed was meant to be an answer, but sounded like more of a moan. He suddenly felt a surge of irritation at Severus. How could he let this child sit up here and cry alone? Who was the adult?

"Alright," He scooped her up so that she was sitting next to him. "Breathe, lion." But her sobs continued, and he pointed his wand, and summoned a calming draught, glad for Severus' obsessive stocking of his potion cabinet. "Drink this, sweetheart."

She shook her head and he mimicked the action in irritation. "Elizabeth Rose, either calm down or drink this to help." He set the vial on the bedside table and pulled the preteen all the way onto his lap, rocking her until her sobs turned to hiccups. "Honestly, the drama you and your father put each other through."

"He might not let me go back to school," Elizabeth mumbled into his robes.

"Ah." Remus raised an eyebrow. "And the mere possibility sent you into this fit?"

Elizabeth shrugged, her face still invisible. "All my friends are there. Dad works there. Where am I going to live?"

Remus pushed her away to look at her face. "Is that what this is about? You think your father's alternative to sending you to a dangerous place would be to kick you out onto the street?"

Elizabeth shrugged. "Could be all alone here, I guess."

Remus groaned. "Honest to Merlin. What goes on in that head of yours? How do you make these leaps?"

She shrugged again.

"Enough of this nonsense. You will talk to your father when he gets home." He held up a hand to stop her protest. "You will apologize for throwing your childhood in his face. It was wrong, and you know it." He stared down at her. "You will put aside whatever teenage girl angst that you have and you will not make his job harder than it already is."

A third shrug was not the response Remus had hoped for. "Elizabeth, I understand the desire to be at Hogwarts. I suffered similarly every time my parents thought it was too dangerous for me. Every year, my mother would try to convince my father that I should be home schooled. Every year, I thought I'd never see my friends again."

"But your father let you go back?"

Remus smiled a little. "You have to remember that it was me who _was_ the danger. At least my parents knew what could happen, and I think that made it easier for my father. It would certainly make it easier for yours." He stood. "I promised Severus that you would do some homework today."

Elizabeth groaned and Remus grinned. "But maybe a game of chess before that, yes?"

*S*S*

Severus Snape did not return by suppertime.

Or an hour past.

Or two hours past.

Remus finally made her go to bed an hour after her bedtime. Just minutes before Severus stumbled through the floo. Where he passed out on the floor.

*S*S*

"Merlin, Sev." Remus rearranged the pillows on the bed. "What the hell happened to you?"

Severus winced. "It's complicated."

"Having to haul your ass up the stairs is complicated," Remus raised an eyebrow at the wounds being unveiled as Severus disrobed. "You look like you were in battle."

Severus shook his head. "Let's just say that the wards at Malfoy Manor no longer welcome me." He went to work on the cuts on his arms with his wand. He changed into a t-shirt and black cotton pants, and lay on the bed, propping himself up on the pillows.

"Dad?" The door opened a crack.

Severus looked at Remus, who shrugged. "I put her to bed."

"Come in, Elizabeth." Severus called, sitting up straighter.

The door swung all the way open to reveal his daughter, long dark hair loose down her back, dressed in her red pajamas.

"Dad? Are you okay?"

"Of course." Severus raised an eyebrow. "Why aren't you in bed?"

Elizabeth dropped her eyes to the floor, and Severus took pity on her. "Is there something you want to say?"

"I'm sorry," Elizabeth mumbled at the floor. "I didn't mean it."

Severus sighed. "Didn't mean what?"

Elizabeth had tears running down her cheeks now. "I didn't mean that you shouldn't protect me." She wrapped her arms around herself. "I'm sorry I said that stuff about before."

Remus excused himself, not getting the sense that there would be any more blood shed.

Severus shifted on the bed and patted the space next to him once. "Come here."

Elizabeth hesitated. There was no name after the command. No "Elizabeth Rose" that would denote anger; no "hatchling" that would mean he wasn't angry; not even "monster" saying that he was angry but would get over it. No "child" or "my girl" or just plain "Elizabeth". Not even "lion" that usually meant that she was being stubborn. Severus chose his words carefully, and if he didn't use a handle, it was because he didn't want her to know what he was thinking.

Severus did something then that he never did. He repeated himself. "Come here." His voice was the same. Even. Unreadable.

She knew better than to ignore the gift of a repeated direction. She arrived at his side in half a second. Cautiously climbing up beside him, she sat silently, waiting.

Severus was silent for a moment more before speaking. "Elizabeth, why did you go after the Stone?"

Elizabeth looked at him quizzically, but it looked like he expected an answer. "I didn't want Voldemort to get it."

Severus didn't wince at the name. "Why was it important to you that the Stone remain safe?"

Elizabeth pulled her knees up to her chest. "I didn't want you to have to be a spy again."

"You were protecting me, were you not?"

"Yes, sir." Elizabeth said softly.

"Do you remember how you felt during the moment of that decision?" Severus' voice was calm.

Elizabeth bit her lip. "Like if I didn't do it, my life would be over. Like I didn't have a choice. There was something that told me I had to."

"Having this information, what makes you think that I have any choice but to protect you?" Severus looked at her for the first time since she'd joined him on the bed.

"Dad, I said I'm sorry, I didn't mean it."

"Yes you did." Severus said quietly. "And it wasn't an acceptable method of coercion. You will not use the misfortunes of your childhood as a weapon. That is not the woman you are going to become."

"Yes, sir." Elizabeth shifted uncomfortably.

"My efforts to protect you are not up for debate. I will not entertain any discussions about it. You will obey instructions, or the consequences will be severe. Do I make myself perfectly clear?"

"Yes, sir."

"It's late. Go back to bed."

Elizabeth dragged her feet back to her room, a gnawing feeling in her stomach. It wasn't until she lay in bed that she realized that her discomfort was because for the first time, her father hadn't forgiven her.


	3. Flying Cars and Whomping Willows

Elizabeth tiptoed around the house for three days. Severus was polite. He sat at the table during meals. He sent her to bed on time. He checked that her trunk was appropriately packed. But the gnawing feeling in Elizabeth's gut didn't go away.

On September 1st, he took her to the Weasleys' house and went ahead to Hogwarts with her trunk. Mrs. Weasley was hovering over the twins as they finished packing. "Honestly, George! We have to leave soon! If I find one more joke product in this trunk, I'll—

"Come on, Mum!" George whined. "We won't use them on anyone!"

Mrs. Weasley glared at her son, and turned to Elizabeth. "Did your father take all your things already, dear?"

"Yes, ma'am."

Molly cocked her head to the side. "Are you feeling alright? You look a little flushed," She put her hand on Elizabeth's forehead.

"I'm fine, Mrs. Weasley."

Molly frowned. "Alright. But if you don't feel good, I can call your father."

Elizabeth shook her head. "No, don't."

Mrs. Weasley was distracted from responding by a series of little explosions from Fred's trunk. "Fred!"

"It's not a big deal, Mum!" Fred winked at Elizabeth.

*S*S*

"I'm going through with Ginny," Mrs. Weasley said. "Everyone else should follow us."

Elizabeth stood with Ron as the Weasley family disappeared through the barrier. "What's with you?" Ron asked.

"What?" Elizabeth looked at him.

"You're all quiet."

Elizabeth shrugged. "Nothing. Let's just go through, okay?"

Ron shrugged back. "Whatever." He pushed his cart at the barrier, faster and faster and then… crash!

"What are you doing?" Elizabeth picked her friend up off the floor.

"Something's wrong with the bloody…" Ron glared at the wall as if it had done him a serious injustice.

Elizabeth looked up at the clock. "We're going to miss the train!" Her stomach knotted further. Severus was already angry; he wouldn't like it if she missed the train.

"We've missed it." Ron leaned half-heartedly against his trunk.

"What are we going to do?"

Ron shrugged. "How long will it take for Mum and Dad to get back to us?"

"I don't know." Elizabeth looked around at the throng of Muggles rushing about. "We should go wait by the car."

"Elizabeth! The car!"

"What about it?"

"We can fly the car to Hogwarts!"

Elizabeth looked at him as if he'd lost his mind. "We absolutely cannot."

Ron rolled his eyes. "You sound like your dad. It'll be great!"

Elizabeth's stomach twisted so hard she almost fell over. "Look, Ron, Dad's already brassed off…"

"Since when has that stopped you? We don't have any other choice."

"There's a floo," Elizabeth gestured back toward the center of the terminal. "I think you have to pay, but I have some money."

"I can't floo with a trunk and a rat."

"Then you stay here. I'll floo to Hogwarts and get help." But then she thought about Severus, and how cold he'd been the part few days. He refused to… _notice_ her. What was the worst thing that could happen if they got caught? He was already angry…

*S*S*

Severus Snape was sitting at his desk in the living quarters when there was a frantic knocking at the door. He opened it to reveal Minerva, her eyes wide, and her breathing heavy.

Severus felt his heart leap into his throat. "What's wrong?"

"Molly took Ginny through the barrier first," McGonagall said, her voice shaking. "Ron and Elizabeth never came after her. When she went back through, she couldn't find them, and the car was gone."

"What car?" Severus said, remembering a rumor he'd heard about Arthur and a flying car.

Minerva pressed her lips together. "They've been spotted in the sky, over the train."

Severus closed his eyes. "She'll be killed."

"Albus has gone to the Aurors, hopefully they can be brought down safely," Minerva soothed, but her voice was unsteady.

"I'm going after her," Severus said, coming out into the corridor and striding toward the castle entrance.

"Severus, you can't! There's no way for you to get to her without being seen, and you might make the situation worse."

"My twelve-year-old is flying a car that a crackpot dreamed up in his garage." Severus said, shaking off her arm. "The situation can't get worse."

He arrived on the main floor as Albus came through the front doors. "They can't bring her down," Dumbledore said. "But they are tracking her, and trying to keep the car hidden."

Severus went toward the door, only to find his feet stuck to the floor. "Let me go, Albus."

"Severus, you cannot draw attention to them. The Aurors will keep her safe, but if there is someone out there looking for her to be vulnerable…" Dumbledore met the younger man's eyes. "I think they've found it."

"At least let me pace," Severus said through gritted teeth, glaring at the Headmaster until the sticking charm was reversed.

*S*S*

It was hours before the car came into view, after the train had arrived and the students had filed into the Great Hall. Severus was certain that he'd worn a path in the stone, and when the feast started, he moved out onto the lawn, where he could pace and watch the sky.

When the car finally came down, it crashed, hard into the Whomping Willow, and Severus ran toward it, wand drawn. "_Immobulus!_" He shouted, freezing the tree's thrashing branches as one came hurling toward the car.

Striding across the lawn, he reached the car and yanked open the passenger side door. Inside, the Second Years looked terrified, but unharmed.

"Get. Out. Now." Severus said, his voice dropping far below his usual danger zone. Elizabeth had to force her legs to move. She'd wanted his attention. It appeared that she had it now.

When his daughter's feet hit the ground, Severus seized her by the upper arm. "Are you hurt?" He asked, his voice still low.

Elizabeth shook her head, and in the next moment, she found herself spun to the side, Severus' hand smacking the seat of her jeans before turning her back to look into his blazing eyes. "Weasley!" The professor said, louder, his eyes not leaving Elizabeth's. "Let's go."

Severus, his hand still clamped on his daughter's arm, started to march toward the castle, not bothering to look and see if the boy followed. Elizabeth, however, turned her head back and saw that Ron was already several yards behind her… and the branches of the Whomping Willow were starting to move.

*S*S*

"You were seen!" Severus threw a copy of the Daily Prophet on his desk and glared at Ron. "Do you have any idea what this will do to your father's career? What's more, you risked the exposure of our world! You idiot child!" The patented Snape stare went darker, if possible. "The damage you've caused to the wizarding world, your family, and a very valuable Whomping Willow… have you a brain in your head, boy?"

Ron stared at his shoes. "The tree did more damage to—

"To whom, Mr. Weasley? Because it seems to me that you are the only one in this situation that emerged unscathed!"

"I had no choice, Professor, we couldn't get on the train."

"You had many choices, Mr. Weasley," Minerva glare rivaled her son's.

"I didn't think—

"You didn't think what, Mr. Weasley? That you wouldn't be seen? That you could have a joy ride and arrive to school with a story to tell?"

"I have yet to hear an acceptable explanation," Albus had, until then, been quiet, but his soft voice was deafening to Ron's ears.

He hung his head. "I'll go and get my stuff."

"What are you talking about, Mr. Weasley?" Minerva ground out.

"You're expelling me, aren't you?"

"Not today, Mr. Weasley," Dumbledore said softly. "But I must impress upon you the seriousness of what you have done. This is your one second-chance. I will have no choice but to expel you if you do anything like this again."

Severus gritted his teeth. "Headmaster, the boy flouted the Decree for the Restriction of Underage Wizardry—

"And Professor McGonagall will decide his punishment for that, Severus. For now, We must return to the feast. Mr. Weasley will find food in his dormitory. You should return to the tower, young man." Albus pointed at the door.

"I won't be going to the feast, Headmaster, I have business in the hospital wing." Severus glared once again at the redhead.

"Sir," Ron squeaked. "Is she going to be alright?"

"Against every effort of yours today, Mr. Weasley, she will be fine." Severus spun on his heel and strode through the door in the direction of the hospital wing, leaving Ron standing in the middle of the office, trying to avoid Albus' gaze.

*S*S*

"Let me see," Severus ordered. Elizabeth rolled over on the hospital wing bed and lifted the back of her shirt to show the deep bruise that was forming across her back.

"Your spine could have been severed, you foolish brat." The fury in his voice contrasting the gentleness with which he prodded her skin with his fingertips.

"I'm assuming that you have an explanation," Severus said, inspecting the bruise.

"I didn't think—

"That," Severus said dryly, "is obvious. I don't want to hear it right now. Rest assured that we will be discussing it later. At length."

"Professor?" The two turned at the sound of a voice from the door.

"Mr. Weasley," Severus said. "Your brother is in the Tower, I believe."

Fred nodded. "Yes, sir, I was just there. But Ron said that Betsy got hurt, so I came to check." He looked at Elizabeth. "You okay, kid?"

She blushed. "I'm fine. Is Ron okay?"

Fred snorted. "From the car ride and the tree? Sure. From the pounding that George is giving him right now? Less likely."

"I'm going to pretend I didn't hear that, Mr. Weasley," Severus said and stood. "You ought to let your parents handle Ronald's behavior."

"I understand, sir, but he doesn't always listen that great." Fred grinned. "We'd rather not lose a brother, unless it's Percy." He looked at Elizabeth. "I'm sorry he roped you into it. Are you coming back to the Tower?"

"Elizabeth makes her own choices," Severus said firmly, " and she will be staying with me tonight. Please give Professor McGonagall the message."

Fred gave Elizabeth a sympathetic look, but retreated out of the room. Severus turned back to his daughter. "You and I need to have a discussion."

"My back hurts," Elizabeth said lamely, and Severus narrowed his eyes.

"Would you like to add lying to the list of your transgressions?"

Elizabeth grimaced, and stood, letting him take her arm and lead her down the stairs to the dungeons.

*S*S*

Severus paced the living room slowly, his hands clasped behind his back, as Elizabeth lay on the sofa, an ice pack behind her back, and listened to her explanation. When she finished, he was quiet for a long time, before sitting on the coffee table so he could look down at her.

"You know what you did today was unacceptable," he said softly. "It was so wrong, that you can barely tell me the story, you're so embarrassed. I suppose that's something." He tapped the place between his eyebrows with two fingers, carefully considering the situation. "I think that I hardly need to lecture about stealing, and flying a car, and exposure of the Wizarding world. You know that was wrong. You knew it before you did it, and you know it now." He leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. "You knew it was wrong. So why did you do it?"

"Ron—

Severus shook his head, cutting her off. "As I told Mr. Weasley, I do not subscribe to the idea that you were shepherded by a wayward influence in this, Elizabeth Rose. You knew that there would be consequences for your actions." He looked at her carefully. "You are going to spend the next two weeks in detention every evening after dinner," Severus said. "Detention, homework, and then you will go to bed down here."

Elizabeth nodded, and his tone softened. "Your sentence has been levied, Elizabeth. It's time to come clean about the motivation. You can't make it any worse." He reached over and brushed hair off her forehead. At his touch, her eyes filled with tears.

Severus moved to sit on the edge of the sofa. It had already been the longest day of his life, and he wanted nothing more than for it to end. "Elizabeth."

At her name, the Gryffindor sat up, ignoring Severus' halfhearted attempts to get her to lie back, and put her arms around his neck. "I missed you," she said her face buried in his shoulder. "You were so mad at me…"

"Merlin, Hatchling," Severus sighed, shifting her so he could hold the icepack against her back.

Severus held her as she cried into his robes, and soon the sounds of sniffles stopped, and her breathing went deep and even. He wasn't surprised. She hadn't eaten or slept well in days. He'd wanted to talk to her, but he'd had been hurt. Hurt was not a feeling he was used to. Physical pain, sure. He knew what to do with physical pain. But the combination of guilt and worry that Elizabeth had him in had no ready solution.

He hadn't handled it well. He knew that. But it didn't keep him from causing her pain over the past few days. _You're supposed to be the adult in this situation_, he scolded himself. _Look at her. She's a child._

Severus knew how she'd felt. Albus had been a master of paternal guilt. The twisting feeling in his gut when Albus was angry left him ready to do anything to feel better again. That was why it was so strange that Albus had been so understanding the night he confessed to taking the Mark. The man froze him out for a week once for sneaking off to Hogsmeade with Lily, but when he'd given his allegiance to the Dark Lord… nothing but understanding.

Severus rocked his child a little. A cycle of guilt. Not what he wanted to pass on to the next generation. Not something Lily would have let him pass on. She was quick to forgive. She didn't believe in the psychological torture of grudges. When she was angry, it was loud and bright and died out quickly like a short match. She would be horrified at how he'd let his own feelings impact their daughter.

"You really should eat," he said softly, as if she was awake, carrying the sleeping girl into her room. "Sleep for a little while."

*S*S*

"You let me fall asleep," Elizabeth accused with a yawn as she padded down into the lab in her socks.

"I wasn't aware that you wished to remain awake," Severus didn't take his eyes off the cauldron he was stirring. "Put some shoes on if you are going to be down here."

"You have my wand."

Severus hit himself in the forehead with the heel of his hand. "Merlin! I forgot that there was no non-magical way to put on shoes! That's why Muggles go around it their stocking feet all the time."

Elizabeth rolled her eyes, sighed, and trudged back upstairs to find her shoes.

When she returned, Severus gestured to a stool near where he stood, stirring rhythmically.

"Let me finish this, and we'll have dinner."

"It's late," Elizabeth said, leaning on the table top.

"Your cupcake of hair," Severus said, not responding to her point, "seems to have developed an affinity for the dungeons." He gestured to Casper, who was stationed near his feet.

Elizabeth grinned. "He likes you."

"He is perhaps the strangest creature I've ever met. It seems the less favorable attention I pay to the albino hedgehog, the more it wishes to be close to me."

"Can he stay down here? Crookshanks isn't very nice to other cats."

Severus gave a suffering sigh. "I suppose. But don't expect me to entertain the snowball."

Casper rubbed against his robes, as enthusiastic as a cat could be about the situation.

"Are you still mad?"

Severus sighed again, this time not as dramatically. "I'm mostly glad that you are unharmed," he said, bottling the liquid in his cauldron. "I'm sure I've forgotten something I had decided to scold about in those hours you were in the air, and if I remember, I'll let you know." Snape came around the lab table and pulled her against his chest. "We both need to eat and sleep," he said, walking her up the stairs. When they reached the top, he turned to look at her seriously. "Never again, Elizabeth Rose. Do you understand me?"

"Yes, sir," Elizabeth nodded, letting him hold her tight against his robes.

*S*S*

At breakfast the next morning, Fred sat beside Elizabeth, putting his arm around her. "Ron-the-ass is hiding in the Tower."

"Don't you think it's a little hypocritical for you to be mad at him?"

Fred dropped his arm, and looked at her. "There's a difference between goofing off and doing something really stupid. Dad's probably going to get sacked. George and I never did anything like that."

"I'm sorry," Elizabeth bit her lip.

Fred didn't seem to accept. "Everyone thinks that we just mess around all the time, but we never do things that would hurt people."

"I know," Elizabeth said softly. "I didn't mean you would. I meant that it was hypocritical to be mad at him and not me."

"It isn't your car," Fred said, shaking his head. "And it wasn't your idea, I'm certain."

"I don't think Ron thought it would hurt anyone."

"Well it did," Fred said crisply. "Smoke bombs and sneaking out to Hogsmede never hurt anyone. He has to think."

"You sound like my Dad."

Fred snorted. "That's low, Evans."

And that was the last that he said to her for the rest of the meal.

Ron slunk down to the table, just before the mail arrived. As if on cue, the owls descended, and a red envelope dropped on Ron's lap.

"— STEALING THE CAR, I WOULDN'T HAVE BEEN SURPRISED IF THEY'D EXPELLED YOU, YOU WAIT TILL I GET HOLD OF YOU, I DON'T SUPPOSE YOU STOPPED TO THINK WHAT YOUR FATHER AND I WENT THROUGH WHEN WE SAW IT WAS GONE! AN OWL BROUGHT A LETTER FROM DUMBLEDORE LAST NIGHT, I THOUGHT YOUR FATHER WOULD DIE OF SHAME, WE DIDN'T BRING YOU UP TO BEHAVE LIKE THIS, YOU COULD HAVE DIED! WE ARE ABSOLUTELY DISGUSTED — YOUR FATHER'S FACING AN INQUIRY AT WORK, IT'S ENTIRELY YOUR FAULT AND IF YOU PUT ANOTHER TOE OUT OF LINE WE'LL BRING YOU STRAIGHT BACK HOME."

Elizabeth shot a look at the front table as the howler shook the room. Severus was calmly sipping his tea.

Ron was pale after the note burst into flames. Percy gave him a nasty look, the twins weren't looking their direction at all, and Ginny was wildly trying to look as if she was in no way associated with the Weasley family.

"Gotta get something before class," Ron muttered and fled the Great Hall. Elizabeth looked at Fred, but he was staring at his toast.

George met her eyes and gestured with his head toward his twin. Elizabeth just shrugged.


	4. Fame

"Do you think Mrs. Weasley will come to school?" Elizabeth sat across from her father that evening, having supper in their quarters.

"I think she made her point," Severus said blandly. "I would imagine your friend will face additional penalties during the next holiday."

"You'd never send me one of those, would you? It was embarrassing."

Severus smirked. "One of the pleasures of teaching at the school my daughter matriculates is that if I wish to scold you, I can do it in person at any time." He raised an eyebrow. "And I have the ability to impose 'additional penalties' right here."

"What do you think she'll do? She sounded really mad," Elizabeth poked her food.

"I wouldn't presume to know Arthur and Molly's domestic routine, and you should be more concerned with your own consequences. All the desks in the Potions classroom need to be scrubbed in preparation for my classes tomorrow."

Elizabeth changed the subject.

"Tomorrow I have Lockhart."

"Professor Lockhart," Severus corrected.

"Can't I do Defense with you like last year?"

Severus frowned. "Last year was under extenuating circumstances. You need to be in class with your peers unless there is a safety reason for you to be removed."

"What if he does what he did at the bookstore?"

"That was a misguided attempt at a press spectacle. There won't be any reporters in the classroom."

*S*S*

Elizabeth tried to convince herself that Severus was right, but the next day on the way to Herbology, his judgment was called into question.

"Elizabeth! Ronald! I've been wanting a word!" Lockhart swept the two children away from the group on the way to the greenhouse. "Elizabeth. Elizabeth. Elizabeth."

Elizabeth and Ron looked at each other.

"When I heard— well, of course, it was my fault. Could have kicked myself."

Elizabeth shrugged at Ron's look.

"Don't know when I've been more shocked. Flying a car to Hogwarts! Well, of course, I knew at once why you'd done it. Stood out a mile. Elizabeth, Elizabeth, Elizabeth."

Elizabeth felt like there were insects crawling on her skin.

"Gave you the bug. You got on the front page with me and you just couldn't get enough."

"Oh, no, Professor," Ron tried to interrupt.

"Ronald, Ronald, Ronald. I understand. Natural to want a bit of fame. But see here, young man, you can't start flying cars to try and get yourself noticed." He flashed his shiny smile. "Elizabeth here has a few people who know about her. You know, this business with He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named."

Elizabeth fought not to roll her eyes.

"It's not quite as much notoriety as I have, but it's a start. You might want to tone it down a little, Elizabeth."

Elizabeth was irritated and looked at Ron, expecting to see the same sentiment in Ron's eyes and she saw something else. Sadness? She grabbed his arm. "We have to go to class, Professor."

She dragged Ron into the greenhouse, where she was presented with a pair of earmuffs. "Mandrake, or Mandragora, is a powerful restorative," Hermione was saying. "It's used to return people who have been transfigured or cursed to their original state."

Elizabeth looked at Ron, who had pushed into the group a few people away and was diligently watching Professor Sprout and Hermione, who were engaged in a verbal Mandrake ping-pong match, the older witch firing questions and the younger witch answering them.

"Earmuffs on," Professor Sprout ordered, and Elizabeth snapped hers on, looking away from Ron, still puzzling over his reaction to Lockhart.

*S*S*

Lunchtime came, and Ron's mood had gotten darker. Between the broken wand and whatever had upset him in their conversation with the professor, he was mumbling to himself every few minutes.

"We've got Defense this afternoon," Hermione said excitedly, after they'd gobbled lunch to go outside.

Elizabeth shuddered. "Great."

"Elizabeth, sometimes I think you're not even a girl," Hermione rolled her eyes. "Don't you fancy him?"

"No," Elizabeth said shortly. She turned away to grab her schedule out of her bag and came face to face with a Muggle camera, held by a small boy she'd never seen before.

"All right, Elizabeth? I'm— I'm Colin Creevy," Elizabeth inched away a little. "I'm in Gryffindor, too. D'you think, I mean, would it be all right if… Can I have a picture?" he asked eagerly.

"A picture?" Elizabeth repeated.

"So I can prove I met you," Colin explained. "Maybe someone else could take it and I could stand next to you, and you could sign it."

"Signed photos? You're giving out signed photos, Evans?" Draco's voice sneered from behind them.

"Shut up, Malfoy," Elizabeth muttered.

Malfoy pretended to look around. "Why? I don't see Daddy here to save you."

"Don't be an ass," Elizabeth shot back. "Oh wait, too late."

"Weasley would like a signed photo, Evans," Malfoy went on as if she hadn't spoken. "It'd be worth more than his family's whole house."

"What's all this?" Lockhart was coming toward them. "Who's giving out signed photos?" He strode over to Elizabeth and threw an arm around her shoulders. "Never mind, I know who." He shooed the other students away.

"A word to the wise, Elizabeth," Lockhart pinned her to his side and started back toward the castle. "Handing out signed pictures at this stage of your career isn't sensible. It looks a tad bigheaded. There may well come a time when, like me, you'll need to keep a stack handy wherever you go, but I don't think you're quite there yet." He laughed and dragged her with him into the classroom where he finally released her.

Sinking into the seat as far from Lockhart as possible, she piled her books in front of her, trying to block the wizard's face. She put her face in her hands and tried to ignore as much of the beginning of class as possible.

"I see you've all bought a complete set of my books," Lockhart said once they were all seated. "I thought we'd start today with a little quiz, just to see how well you've read them." He passed the papers down the rows. "You have thirty minutes, starting… now!"

Elizabeth had not read them. Severus had made her spend an hour a day after they'd gone to Diagon Alley reading her new books, but she'd put off Lockhart's. She'd read Potions more than once, unwilling to not know an answer in Snape's class, and she'd read Transfiguration carefully as well. But Lockhart's books sat untouched.

When Severus asked, she just said that she wasn't finished with the others, and if he thought that was strange he didn't let on.

Elizabeth looked at the test.

_What is Gilderoy Lockhart's favorite color?_

_What is Gilderoy Lockhart's secret ambition?_

On and on, over three sides of paper. Elizabeth had no idea about any of the answers.

After the test, Lockhart looked critically at the papers, praising Hermione for getting all the answers correct. When he reached Elizabeth paper, he clicked his tongue. "Tut, Tut," He looked disappointed. "You don't get to be famous by being lazy, my girl."

Elizabeth half hoped that he would berate someone else for scoring badly, but the Professor turned, dropping the tests on the desk and reaching behind his chair to pull out a large cage.

"Cornish Pixies," he said brightly. Elizabeth looked at the cage warily, not at all sure what was coming next. "Let's see what you make of them," he opened the cage with a florish.

Had Elizabeth been able to think, she might have made a mental note never to ask for a pixie for Christmas. Or she might have thought that she was glad that back garden at Spinner's End was infested with gnomes and not pixies.

But there was no time to think as the pixies proceeded to cause havoc on the classroom and the students. One knocked Elizabeth's ink bottle all over Ron's books, while another happily shredded Hermione's spare roll of parchment.

"Come on now— round them up, round them up, they're only pixies!" Lockhart rolled up his sleeves, waved his wand, and shouted, "Peskipiksi Pesternomi!"

Again, if it was possible to think, Elizabeth not only would have wished that the spell had worked, she also would have wondered why it didn't. Lockhart apparently did wonder why it didn't work, and dived under his desk.

The bell rang, and the students leapt up, rushing out the door. Hermione, Ron, and Elizabeth almost made it to safety when Lockhart pushed past them and said, "Well, I'll ask you three to just nip the rest of them back into their cage." And then he was gone.

*S*S*

Once they discovered that the secret was freezing the pixies midair, it was just a matter of firing the spell at each one of them. After Ron managed to freeze himself with his own wand, Hermione and Elizabeth finished up on their own before unfreezing him.

"You could have done that right after it happened, you know," he grumbled.

"We didn't want to risk it," Hermione said lightly. "Come on, it's time for dinner."

They stopped by the tower to drop off their things, and then headed to the Great Hall. Ron was still whining about how his muscles hurt from being frozen for so long, and Hermione offered to refreeze him so he would stop talking.

Collapsing into seats at the Gryffindor table, Ron piled his plate with food. "Catching pixies is hungry work."

"How many pixies did you catch, Ronald?" Hermione levitated a potato on to her plate.

Elizabeth filled her glass with pumpkin juice. It didn't take long for an emerald envelope to appear beside her plate. She shot a look at her father, who raised an eyebrow.

She opened the envelope and unfolded the cream stationary.

_Elizabeth-_

_I've had an interesting conversation with Professor Lockhart this afternoon. I would like an explanation at your detention this evening._

_ -SS_

*S*S*

"Hi, Dad." Elizabeth closed the portrait behind her.

"Hello," Severus was sitting behind his desk. "Have a seat."

"Dad, it wasn't my fault."

"Really? And just who is to blame for your abominable score on today's Defense exam?'

Elizabeth squirmed. "It wasn't over the right stuff."

"The right stuff?" Severus asked incredulously. "Do I hear you correctly? You are blaming the assessment itself?" He shook his head. "I thought I had imposed enough study time this summer, but I was clearly mistaken."

"Dad! The questions weren't even about Defense! They were all about Lockhart—

"Professor Lockhart," Severus corrected, "And you would do well to watch your tone, young lady."

Elizabeth clenched her teeth. "It was a stupid test."

Severus sighed and went to the floo. Fire calling Lockhart, he requested Elizabeth's test.

"What a good role model you are, Severus! Make sure her brush with fame doesn't go to her head."

Severus gritted his teeth. Of all classes, why did she have to get into trouble in this one? His skin crawled at being on Lockhart's side. He stepped through the floo to retrieve the paper, and then came back to find Elizabeth in exactly the same position, but there was a hopeful look on her face.

Severus wondered at this. The girl should feel like she was most certainly in trouble now that he had the test, and yet she looked relieved. He looked at the exam, grimacing at the large red zero at the top of the paper. His eyes drifted down over the questions.

Elizabeth watched as his face turned from stern-father to disbelief to irritation.

"I told you it wasn't about Defense stuff," she said quietly.

"Tell me that this is some sort of elaborate joke," Severus held up the paper.

"Today in class we spent 30 minutes doing that and the rest of the class chasing Cornish Pixies."

Severus grimaced. "Go do your homework."

"What about my detention?"

Severus straightened his shirt cuffs. "Finish your Potions essay and I'll check it when I return."

"Where are you going?"

"I need to speak to your grandfather. I'll be back soon."

"Can I come?"

Severus shook his head. "Stay here, do your homework." He strode to the portrait and went out, leaving her to "finish" her essay.

*S*S*

Severus arrived in Dumbledore's office with the test in hand.

"Severus! Come in," Albus called from his desk.

"Father, have you gone batty in your old age?"

Albus shrugged serenely and popped a lemon drop in his mouth. "To what are you referring, my boy?"

"What possessed you to hire that spotlight-seeking showoff?"

"That's quite alliterative, Severus. Which hireling are we talking about?"

"You know very well whom I'm talking about. Look at this test your new Defense professor gave his second year class." Severus tossed the parchment on Dumbledore's desk.

"Severus, I can't do anything about your daughter's grades, you know that."

"Bugger the mark, father, look at the questions."

"He appears to be checking that the students read carefully over the summer, Severus. It appears that Elizabeth did not read carefully."

"He's using the class as an ego boost," Severus spat.

"Ask me the question you really want to, son." Albus said quietly.

"I've been begging for this job for years. Are you trying to hire everyone on Earth before you hire me?"

Albus smiled. "Severus, you are a brilliantly talented Potions Master. And of course your second life doesn't make you an ideal Defense candidate."

"Of course it does!" Severus all but shouted. "Who better than I to arm the students against the Dark Arts than someone who has witnessed them first hand?"

"By that logic, I should hire Lucius Malfoy," Albus said blithely.

Severus scowled. "Don't be ridiculous."

"Severus, you should go encourage your daughter to study." With that, Albus returned to whatever it was he was working on before Severus had appeared. Knowing when he was dismissed, Severus, still fuming, returned to the dungeons.

*S*S*

_Elizabeth Evans_

_Year 2_

_Swelling Solution_

_Swelling solution causes whatever touches it to get bigger. How big depends on how much solution you put on the object. _

_To make swelling solution, you need to simmer puffer-fish eyes in a solution of salt water until the mixture has reduced to a syrup-like texture. Then, squeeze the ink of 6 slugs into the mixture and immediately remove the cauldron from the heat._

_To make the swelling go down, you have to use Deflating draught. Deflating draught is made with mandrakes._

_Swelling Solution can be used for lots of things, including making fruits and vegetables bigger. But you have to wash the fruit really well before you eat it, or your tongue will swell up, and you don't be able to breathe. Deflating Draught takes 6 days to brew, so you should always have some on hand just in case. _

_Swelling Solution takes only an hour to brew, but you shouldn't keep a store of it because it looks like a lot of other potions and it could be confused if you didn't label it right._

_The End_

"At least the spelling is correct," Severus said, picking up his quill and dipping it in green ink. "Your facts are incomplete and undocumented, the whole thing is unorganized, and it if this is 2 feet, then I'm a Gryffindor." He marked furiously before handing the parchment back to her. "Try again."

"I didn't have time to go to the library." Elizabeth took the parchment dejectedly.

"Any Potions book that can be found in the library can be found in my office," Severus gestured to the door. "Anything you can't reach easily is something you don't need."

"Can it wait until tomorrow?" Elizabeth yawned.

"No," Severus said. "And, by the way, 'the end' is unnecessary. It isn't a story."

Elizabeth groaned. "I can work on it tomorrow."

"Yes you can. You can write it tomorrow, after you complete your research tonight," he pointed to the door again. "Gather your materials."

"Slave driver," she muttered, going into the office.

"Keep it up, my girl, and you can spend the weekend studying."

Elizabeth dejectedly went into the office and grabbed a few promising books. Back in the residence, she collapsed with them on the sofa. Severus raised his eyebrows, but didn't look up. "My, it's a wonder that the Gryffindor common room isn't full of broken furniture."

Elizabeth stuck out her tongue at his bowed head and went to work, glancing up every few minutes. _How does he stay so focused?_ She wondered, looking at the meager amount of information that she had gathered.

"I don't get it," Elizabeth gave her voice just as much whine as her father would tolerate.

"You 'don't get' what?" Severus questioned, still marking.

"Any of it."

Severus quirked an eyebrow. "'I don't get it' is not a question, Elizabeth. I will certainly answer any _questions_ you might have."

She blew air out of her mouth, blowing her bangs out from her forehead. "Fine."

"I'm sorry, was there a question mark at the end of that?" Severus stopped marking, but didn't put down his quill.

"It's swelling solution! It makes stuff bigger! Who cares?"

"Is the question 'who cares'?" Severus asked softly, rolling his quill between his fingers, "Because swelling solution has several practical uses that you could extract from the literature and include in your report."

Elizabeth dug her toe into the rug. "I don't care," she mumbled.

Severus set his quill purposefully in its stand. "Come here."

Elizabeth eyed him, suddenly wary. "Why?"

"Because I am your father and I told you to come here." Severus pushed his chair back from the desk as she made her way to him. When she was at his side, he pulled a vial out of his desk along with a slide. He handed the second object to his daughter. "Spit on that."

She raised an eyebrow in a perfect imitation of the Potions professor, but did as she was told. Taking back the slide, he set it on the desk and opened the bottle, extracting the solution with an eyedropper.

A few drops of the solution splashed onto the slide, and all of a sudden, the slide and a bit of the surrounding desk was covered with colorful blobs.

"Eww," Elizabeth scrunched up her nose.

"Indeed," Severus said. "However, bacterium and viruses are easier to work with in larger form. We only have the medical potions that we have because our researchers are able to examine the germs up close. We had swelling solution before Muggles had microscopes, and swelling solution is still better."

"Can you just use an _engorgio_ spell?" Elizabeth eyed the bacteria.

"_Engorgio _works on individual items, like this," Severus pointed his wand at his quill. "_Engorio"_ The quill grew in size.. "You need swelling solution if you want to enlarge a large number of things at the same time." He pointed his wand again. "_Reducio_." The quill went back to its normal size.

Elizabeth poked at the blobs with her wand. "So that's why you can give me a potion that makes me better faster?"

"Yes," Severus waved his wand to clean the slide and tucked the materials back into his desk. "So, if the question is 'who cares' then the answer is 'the entire wizarding world and a fair bit of the Muggle world."

Elizabeth wasn't sure how to respond to this bit of information. Luckily, a flash of white fur called their attention away from swelling solution by knocking all Severus' graded parchments off the desk.

"Blast it!" Severus pointed his wand, restoring the papers to their place before grabbing Casper by the scruff of his neck. "Take the powdered doughnut before it destroys everything." He handed her the cat. "Overgrown dandelion." He resumed his marking. "Get ready for bed while you're in there."

*S*S*

"Quidditch practice! Quidditch practice!" Elizabeth opened an eye much too early Saturday morning to see a glowing red ball on her bedside table. She swatted it on to the floor, but it continued to squawk.

Levering herself out of bed, she attempted to smother it with her pillow.

"Quidditch… Quidditch…" the globe mumbled from the fabric.

"What is going on in here?" Severus stood in the doorway, watching his daughter struggle with the orb.

"I don't know," Elizabeth said, irritated. She pulled her wand off the bedside table and pointed it at the pillow. "_Silencio_." She glared at the red ball. "Apparently, Oliver wants to have Quidditch practice."

Severus rolled his eyes and rubbed a hand over his face, returning to his bedroom with no comment.

Twenty minutes later, Elizabeth found the rest of the team in the changing room.

"It's the crack of dawn, Oliver!" She sank down between Katie and Fred, holding up her obnoxious glowing ball. "What the heck is this?"

Katie held up her own Quaffle-like alarm system, wrapped in Spell-o-tape. "I tried to strangle mine."

"It's better than Oliver jumping on your bed," George muttered. "Just be lucky that he couldn't get into the girls' dorm."

"Quit whining," Oliver was standing beside an oversized drawing of a Quidditch pitch. "Listen up. We should have won the cup last year. We were easily the best team. But due to circumstances beyond our control…" he looked at Elizabeth, who blushed, "Anyway, we have to train harder this year."

Oliver scribbled enthusiastically on the board. While his back was turned, Elizabeth leaned over to Fred. "I'm sorry."

He didn't respond.

She bit her lip. "Fred. I'm sorry."

"I'm trying to listen to Wood," Fred hissed. "I can be serious, you know."

"I know, and I didn't mean that you couldn't be serious," she whispered back. "You totally took it out of context. Besides, it's not like you're serious that often, so how was I supposed to know?"

"Evans! Are you listening?"

"Sure, Oliver," Elizabeth snapped her attention to the complicated board. "I'm going to look for the Snitch."

Oliver turned back to the board, and everyone was quiet for a while. George appeared to have fallen asleep, and Angelina was going that way.

"You are supposed to know because I've been serious around you," Fred finally whispered again.

"Like when?" Elizabeth asked out of the side of her mouth.

"Like the troll thing," Fred hissed.

"Okay, I'm sorry. You can be serious," Elizabeth whispered. "I'll never say you are fun ever again. Okay?"

Fred shrugged. "I'm fun sometimes."

Elizabeth giggled and elbowed him in the side. Before she could fully respond, Oliver rounded on them again.

"If you two are finished, let's put these plans into practice. If you were listening." He grabbed his broom and headed out onto the pitch, the rest of the team straggling behind.

"What is that clicking noise?" Fred looked around. Elizabeth looked around to see Colin, snapping his camera almost violently in the stands. "Who is that?" Fred asked.

"No idea," Elizabeth lied, diverting her eyes.

"He's a Slytherin spy," Wood said hotly, shaking his fist in Colin's direction. "Of all the low—

"I don't think he is," George said, looking behind Oliver.

"He definitely is!" Wood insisted. "Why else would someone be up this early?"

"Beats me," Angelina grumbled.

"Wood, he's not a spy," George repeated. "They don't need a spy. They're here." He pointed past Oliver.

"Flint!" Oliver bellowed, striding toward the other captain. "This is our practice time! We booked the pitch! I booked it!"

"Calm down, Wood, I've got a signed note here," Flint pulled out a piece of parchment and held it up, reading it like some kind of proclamation. "I, Professor S. Snape, give the Slytherin team permission to practice today on the Quidditch field owing to the need to train their new Seeker."

"You've got a new Seeker? Where?" Wood demanded, glaring alternately at Flint and Elizabeth, as if she was some how responsible for her father's note.

From behind the six robed Slytherin players, a smaller boy, smirking all over his pale, pointed face, made his appearance. It was Draco Malfoy.


	5. Draco Lucius Malfoy

Severus was sitting in his armchair, enjoying his morning coffee, savoring the quiet of the Saturday morning when the portrait opened and Elizabeth, dressed in Quidditch robes.

"Elizabeth? Is practice over already?" Severus put down his copy of _The Daily Prophet_.

"Yep." She sat down on the sofa.

Severus frowned. "Did something happen?"

Elizabeth shrugged. "Oliver on, and then when we got ready to practice, guess who came by?"

"Are you really expecting me to guess?" Severus' frown deepened.

"No," Elizabeth snapped. "I'll tell you. It was the Slytherin team invading our pitch."

"Your pitch?" Severus raised an eyebrow. "I had no idea you owned a pitch."

"Dad! We booked it!"

"Then why didn't you ask them to come back?"

Elizabeth clenched her teeth. "Because they had a note!"

"What note?"

"A note from you! Saying they had permission to practice!"

Severus bit back a smile. "Did the note say _when_ they had permission?"

Elizabeth shrugged. "What does it matter?"

"Because, my mouthy child, if the note merely said that they had permission to practice today, then you could have asked them to return later in the day."

"You wrote the stupid thing," Elizabeth grumbled, "You should know."

"Elizabeth Rose, if you can't speak civilly, you can go to your room until you can manage it." Severus said sternly. "I understand that you are irritated because you had to get up early and you were outmaneuvered by the Slytherins. Perhaps you need a nap. But you need to learn to control your tone when you speak to me."

"Yes, sir." Elizabeth looked down at her feet. "I'm sorry." She dug her toe into the floor. "Did you know Draco joined the team?"

Severus sighed. "Of course. I'm aware of 99 percent of what goes on in my House." He looked at his daughter. "Does that bother you?"

"No," Elizabeth mumbled into her lap.

"Elizabeth." Severus put his coffee down. "Does that bother you?"

Elizabeth shrugged.

"I do not read shrugs."

"He's mean," Elizabeth said quietly. "Quidditch is the one place I don't have to see him."

"We've talked about Draco," Severus said firmly. "I know he can be unpleasant, but you are going to meet lots of people in your life who are unpleasant."

"He called Hermione a mudblood," she whispered.

Severus tensed. "When?"

"At practice." Elizabeth decided to leave out the part where Ron tried to curse Malfoy and ended up puking slugs in Hagrid's hut.

Severus pressed his lips together. "I'll take care of it."

*S*S*

"Mr. Malfoy join me in my office." Severus stood in the Slytherin common room, robes swirling in his personal windstorm.

Draco's face became even more pinched. "Why?"

Severus' face darkened. "Mr. Malfoy, I'm sure you didn't just ask your Head of House why you should follow a direct order."

Draco made a three second attempt at defiance… but his self-preservation instinct finally clicked in. "No, sir." He followed Snape into the office, where the Professor snapped the door shut behind them.

Severus pointed to a chair in front of his desk. "Sit," he ordered. He walked around the desk and stood, hands clasped behind his back, and regarded his student. He'd thought about how best to impart his message to the blond child, knowing it would be a very different conversation from the one he'd had with his daughter. All Severus had needed to say to Elizabeth was that calling someone that name was horrible and would hurt people's feelings.

Draco, however, had been raised by Lucius, who celebrated the ability to hurt those around him. Especially those he thought to be less than him.

"It came to my attention that you were a disgrace to the Slytherin name this morning," he began quietly.

Draco's eyes snapped to his. "I don't know what you're talking about," he hissed in a voice that reminded Severus of Lucius when they were in school.

"Spare me, Mr. Malfoy. I've known you since you were born. Even if I hadn't, I'd still be able to tell when you were lying. You wear your emotions all over your face," leveled his best glare at the boy. He paced slowly behind the desk.

"Do you know why I hate that word?" He narrowed his eyes.

"Sir—

"Don't you dare ask me which word, Draco Lucius Malfoy."

Draco dropped his eyes to the floor.

"I do not repeat myself, young man. Answer the question."

"Using common words shows a lack of vocabulary and therefore a lack of intelligence," Draco recited quietly.

"That is certainly true." Severus nodded once. "However, that merely impugns your vocabulary. My greater concern is your serious lack of judgment in creating an enemy that could be useful in the future." He held up a hand to stay Draco's protest. "Silence. Muggle born or not, Miss Granger is a gifted witch." He put his hands on the desk and leaned forward. "A Slytherin knows how to keep their emotions in check, Draco. Manipulation is only successful if you can stand on bridges you would have liked to burn."

Draco flushed. "Like you attempted to manipulate my father?" His grey eyes looked up on Severus and the older wizard saw something… redeemable in them.

"Draco," he sat in his chair. "Your father and I have a very complicated past. He's made choices that I don't support. We both made mistakes, but I'm attempting to come back from them."

Draco dug his toe into the stone floor. "I can't be nice to her… he won't forgive me."

Severus sighed. "It's time for you to decide what kind of man you will be, Draco." He flexed his hands. "I spent much of the past 12 years trying to distance you from the Dark as much as possible, but you will not be a child for much longer."

"You used to pay attention to me," Draco muttered. "Before you had your own kid."

Severus closed his eyes briefly. "Draco," he pushed his chair away from the desk. "Come here."

Draco shuffled over, and Severus grasped his wrists.

"Draco, your father has such hatred for me that we're lucky he didn't have you transferred to Hufflepuff," Draco shuddered and Severus smirked. "But while I doubt I'll be invited to Malfoy family dinners, I am still your Head of House. If you need me, I'm here. No matter what. Understand?"

Draco nodded. "Mum fancies you, so I think you might be invited back yet." He smiled a little.

Severus snorted. "I have absolutely no comment on your mother." He stood and pulled Draco briefly to his chest. "That word escapes your lips again and you will scrub cauldrons until your fingers fall off, do I make myself clear?"

"Yes, Sir."

"Good. Now go."

Draco went to the portrait before looking back. "He doesn't know my middle name, you know," he said quietly. "It's his name. My mother named me after him. And he can't remember it."

Severus regarded him quietly. "It's the kind of man he is, Draco," he said finally. "Remember that when you are choosing your path."

Draco nodded and turned again to the portrait.

"Mr. Malfoy," Severus said again. Draco turned back. "Please pass on my pleasure to the Quidditch team for their excellent use of my note," he said. "Both defensive and offensive in the same breath."

Draco smiled almost shyly. "Thank you, Sir. I will."

Severus stood watching the portrait until in closed. Ten years of spying had made him close to the Malfoy family. Ten years of Death Eater meetings had also meant ten years of watching Draco grow up. For those ten years, Severus was sure that the blond boy was the closest thing he would have to a son. He'd done his best to keep Draco from fully succumbing to the Dark. He'd done everything he could to protect the child without exposing himself.

But Lucius' power was strong. Severus knew that better than anyone. He had hoped that when Draco came to Hogwarts, he would have more time to make the child into a follower of the Light, but Elizabeth's arrival had shifted his focus. It didn't occur to Severus that Draco would miss his father figure. The child had always been so strong, hiding any issue under a pompous attitude and hair gel.

Severus sighed. _Giving Draco advice on how to be a man, _he scolded himself. _What kind of man just abandons a child like that? _

_He's not my child, _he reasoned. _He has a mother and a father. Of course, his father is a murdering psychopath… but would I want someone going behind my back to raise my child in a way that they saw fit?_

Lucius hadn't let the Death Eater meetings die after Voldemort's demise. Severus always suspected that the older man had half-welcomed the Dark Lord's death. It meant that he could rise from servant to master.

When Draco was 5, Lucius had brought him to a meeting and tried to initiate him to the circle by having him strangle a kitten. Draco, for all his bluster, couldn't understand what his father wanted him to do, hugging the kitten and looking at Lucius for affirmation.

Frustrated and embarrassed, Lucius had snapped the pet's neck himself and, when Draco cried, ordered Severus to punish him since he couldn't, as he put it, "dirty his hands" punishing such a weak child.

Severus had snatched up the child and taken him to Hogwarts, where he barricaded the floo and sat for a long time with the sobbing boy on his lap.

At the time, Severus had owned an old black cat named Prince. After Draco had stopped crying, Severus cleaned him up and set the child in his armchair and placed the cat in his lap. Prince was at an age that he didn't care what was going on around him, and so he let Draco hug him.

Severus sat on the ottoman and talked softly to the young wizard. "Prince likes children who are very careful," he stroked Prince's fur, and Draco copied him with his smaller hand.

"Can we take the kitten to the doctor?" Draco asked after a while.

Severus shook his head. "Your father wasn't gentle, Draco." He'd never forget the crestfallen look in the child's eyes.

"Soft," Draco whispered, almost to himself.

It was 3 days before Lucius asked Severus for his son. When Severus brought him home, it was almost painful to watch the child throw himself at his father and be rebuffed. "Decorum, Draco."

*S*S*

"Miss Evans, I need to speak with you," Lockhart's voice made her stomach turn, but she stopped.

"Yes, Sir?"

Her professor was flashing his winning smile. "I've decided, Miss Evans, that you need guidance." He ran his hand through his hair as if he were at a photo shoot. "I'm not about to let you fall through the cracks."

"Sir?" Elizabeth looked around, but there was no one to save her.

"You could really be something, you know. Make something of yourself." He smiled again. "But that last test score was a disappointment." He contorted his face into what he thought was a stern expression. "So I've decided that a bit of detention might modify your attitude about studying. You might not think this subject is important, but there is evil in the world whether you know it or not."

Elizabeth felt like vomiting. _I don't know that there is evil in the world?_ She fumed.

"Eight o'clock sharp," Lockhart said, patting Elizabeth on the arm. "That's a good girl." He turned and was gone down the corridor before she could say anything.

Elizabeth sighed. She had detention already, from the car incident, and while Severus hadn't been making her cut potions ingredients or scrub cauldrons, she still needed to be in their living space after dinner. She was going to have to tell him about Lockahrt.

Severus was sitting at his desk in his office when she came in, staring at the parchment on his desk.

"Dad?" She shut the portrait, but received no response. "Dad?"

Severus' head snapped up. "Elizabeth! You startled me."

"I called you twice," she said, looking at him like he'd lost his mind.

"I was working," he stood up and wrapped his arms around her.

"Dad?" Elizabeth looked up at him. "Are you okay?"

"Did the Dursleys have pets?"

"Yeah," Elizabeth answered slowly, not sure where this was coming from. "A cat named Kitty." She laughed. "Aunt Petunia wasn't very creative."

"Were you nice to that cat?"

Elizabeth shrugged. "Dudley used to pull her tail, but sometimes she got locked in the cupboard with me."

Severus pulled her tighter.

"Dad? What's going on?"

"Nothing," Severus willed himself to release her, but couldn't seem to do it. "Just a long day."

"It's Saturday."

"I know," Severus smiled ruefully.

Elizabeth bit her lip. Even if she didn't expect him to get her out of the Lockhart nightmare, she had to tell him about the detention.

"Elizabeth?" He looked at her. "Did you come down for a reason?"

"I can't come down?" She asked, feigning hurt.

Severus rolled his eyes. "You know that's not what I meant. You don't usually come into the office if you don't need something."

She swallowed. "Dad, you have to get me out of detention."

"Detention?" Severus raised his eyebrows. "What did you do to get detention?"

She pulled away from him so she could pout more effectively. "Lockhart says—

"Professor Lockhart," Severus corrected.

Elizabeth rolled her eyes. "Professor Lockhart says that since I failed that test I have detention tonight at 8."

"He's going to give you study help?" Severus opened the portrait to their quarters and motioned for her to go through.

"I dunno. I guess. He says I need to make something of myself."

Severus frowned, but didn't comment.

"You have to get me out of this!"

"I don't have to do anything of the kind," Severus said firmly. "I don't reverse other teachers' decisions. You didn't read carefully, and regardless of how you feel about a teaching style, it doesn't excuse your lack of study." He straightened his robes. "If Professor Lockhart assigns detentions for failing grades, then you have earned a detention."

"Dad!"

Severus held up a hand against her protests. "You will respect the rules and procedures of all the teachers at this institution or you will find yourself in detention more often than you'd like." He opened the door, shooing her into the corridor. "Come back here when Professor Lockhart releases you," he said following her before closing the door. "You'll stay the night, and we'll have breakfast in the morning."

*S*S*

"You can address the envelopes!" Lockhart said, pointing to a chair next to his desk.

"I thought I you were going to help me study—

Lockhart clicked his tongue. "Study? I have a far more valuable lesson to impart to you tonight, young attention-seeker." He flourished his name on a photo of himself from the stack on the desk. "I'm here to show you just a taste of fame. Something that you will never have for yourself if you don't study."

Elizabeth rolled her eyes and started addressing envelopes, barely listening as Lockhart's voice washed over her. On and on the lecture went about fame and celebrity. The time crept by, endless, miserable time.

And then she heard something. A cold voice. Almost a hiss.

"_Come… come to me… let me rip you… let me tear you… let me kill you…"_

"What was that?" She asked sharply, interrupting Lockhart's drone.

"Sorry?" Lockhart looked puzzled. "What?"

"That— that voice," she looked around. "Didn't you hear it?"

"What?" Lockhart said again, looking at the clock. "Goodness! Look at the time! It's almost midnight! You must be a bit drowsy."

He ushered her out of the room and shut the door after her, leaving the girl alone in the corridor.

She paused, but didn't hear anything else. Shaking her head as if she was trying to get something out of her ears, she trotted down to the dungeons and through the portrait to her quarters.

The living room was empty, but Elizabeth knew that Severus wouldn't have gone to sleep without making sure she'd come home.

"Dad?" She knocked on his bedroom door.

"Come in, hatchling." Severus was sitting on his bed, reading an old looking book. He glanced at the beside clock. "It's late. I trust you got some studying done?"

Elizabeth made a face. "He made me help with his fan mail for 4 hours."

Severus raised an eyebrow. "That seems less like a punishment than I'd like."

"Oh don't worry," she huffed at the floor. "It sucked."

"You know I don't like that word," Severus scolded mildly. "Come here." He swung his legs over the side of the bed and waited until she was in front of him. "Breakfast will be served at 9, and I've invited a guest."

"Who?"

"Draco."

Elizabeth stepped back. "Dad!"

Severus set his jaw. "I know you two have not been friendly in the past, but I would like that to change."

"He's an ass!"

Severus scowled. "This is your last warning about the language, young lady. I know that Draco is often difficult, but he needs some positive interaction in his life."

Elizabeth crossed her arms and shook her head. "He's a jerk. I don't want to be around him. You can have breakfast by yourself."

"It isn't negotiable, Elizabeth," Severus said quietly.

"Sucks," Elizabeth grumbled, then "Ick!" as soap taste filled her mouth.

"Stop talking like a street urchin," he scolded. "It's late. Go to bed. I want you dressed and polite by 9."

"Whatever," she left the room, changing quickly and throwing herself on top of the bedspread. Breakfast with Malfoy… great. Wasn't there some other teacher who could take Malfoy under his wing? Dumbledore, maybe. Or Lockhart. Elizabeth smirked at the thought.

"For goodness' sake, at least get under the blankets," Severus strode into the room.

"I'm fine," she mumbled.

"I changed my mind. I need you dressed by 9 tomorrow, but I need you civil right now," Severus pointed to the bathroom. "Brush your teeth."

"I bet Malfoy didn't brush his teeth," she muttered, stomping her feet as much as she dared.

"Draco does what he's told," Severus answered sharply, pulling the blankets back.

"I don't need you to tuck me in," Elizabeth's irritated face was ruined by the toothbrush sticking out of her mouth.

"Elizabeth," Severus sighed, fighting exasperation.

"What?" Elizabeth spit out the toothpaste and borderline stomped back into the room.

Severus waited until she got in bed before he pulled the covers up and sat on the edge of the mattress. "Elizabeth, I don't have to explain to you what growing up with a Death Eater father has done to Draco."

"I have a Death Eater father," Elizabeth mumbled, rolling over to look at the wall.

"A real Death Eater," Severus amended. "Lucius and I were as close as possible over the past decade or so. I've spent that time trying to save Draco from going down that path, but this is a crucial time in his life. He needs consistent attention from the Light if he is going to avoid becoming a Death Eater himself."

"There are other people."

Severus sighed. "Is that what this is about? Elizabeth, you are my daughter. Nothing is going to change that. Certainly not me spending some time with a young man who needs my help."

"Whatever."

"I'm going to assume the attitude is due to the fact that it is very late," Severus said sternly. "But I'd better see an adjustment before tomorrow, or perhaps a few hours scrubbing cauldrons would adjust it for you." He leaned over and kissed the side of her forehead. "I'll wake you at half past eight."

He left the door open and went back to his own room, falling into bed without high hopes for the next day's activities.

*S*S*

"Draco, pass the eggs please," Severus broke the silence the next morning. It was been a very tense meal so far. Neither child had said a word; Severus was starting to think that this was his worst idea yet.

He'd considered giving Draco his attention separate from Elizabeth, but he didn't want his daughter to feel left out. Apparently, that was a risk that he should have taken.

"May I be excused?" Elizabeth stood up.

"You haven't finished eating," Severus gestured to her plate.

"I'm not hungry. I'm supposed to study with Hermione this morning."

Draco snorted.

"What, Malfoy?" Elizabeth glared at the other student.

"Nothing. Just not sure that someone like that could help you study."

"Like what?" Elizabeth wore a fierce look.

"You know like what," Draco shot back.

"Silence!" Severus snapped. "Elizabeth, sit down and eat. Draco, what did I tell you about Miss Granger?"

Draco shrugged. "I shouldn't burn bridges," he muttered. "But I don't have to like her."

Severus sighed. "What did Miss Granger do to you?"

"She was smarter than him," Elizabeth answered, poking at her eggs.

"At least I'm smarter than you," Draco growled. "I bet you cheat—

"I do not!"

"Silence, both of you!" Severus thundered. "Elizabeth, go to your room."

"I didn't do anything!"

"Elizabeth Rose!"

"Fine," Elizabeth huffed off, shutting the door as firmly as she could risk.

"Draco, this pure-blood nonsense has got to stop, do you understand me?"

Malfoy shrugged. "It's not like I called her anything."

"It's not just the word that is the problem, young man. It's the sentiment."

"My father says—

"Mr. Malfoy, I care very little about your father's elitist propaganda. I expect more thought from you, and I do not like to be disappointed." Severus frowned at the blonde-haired boy. "At the very least, I know your mother raised you to be polite when you are a guest in someone's home. Your behavior this morning has been lacking, which I'm sure you know, am I correct?"

"Yes, sir."

"Then you know that I expect a quick change in that behavior?"

"Yes, sir."

"Good." Severus stood. "Stay. I'll return in a moment."

Draco obeyed, and Severus went into his daughter's bedroom where she was sitting on her bed, looking murderous.

"I told you he was a jerk, Dad."

Severus didn't reply, just crossed his arms and looked at her.

"He's a jerk, and I don't know why you even bother talking to him."

More staring.

"I mean, sure, he's in your House or whatever. And you knew him when he was little, but he's a jerk now."

More staring.

"He might have been cute and nice as a little kid, but he isn't any more. He's mean. You wouldn't let me get away with being like that."

More staring.

"He needs somebody to…" She trailed off mid rant.

"Are you quite finished?" Severus raised an eyebrow.

"Yes." She said, staring at her shoes.

"Draco does indeed need someone, Elizabeth. Unfortunately for him, there are not many who have the ability to go up against his father. So," he sat beside her on the bed. "I would like to take a more active role in his life. But I need you to be a good influence. Or at least not be a bad one."

She shrugged. "I guess."

Severus shook his head. "Not good enough, hatchling. You are my first priority. You always will be. So you have to tell me whether you are willing to be the bigger person here."

She laid her head on his shoulder. "I can do it if you want me to."

He smoothed her hair. "I do. Thank you."

"I'm not sure what you think you'll do for him though. It's not like his father is just going to say 'Hey, Sev, go ahead and corrupt my kid.'"

Severus chuckled. "You let me worry about that. And Lucius doesn't call me 'Sev'."

"I imagine he calls you words I'm not allowed to say," Elizabeth smirked.

"Lately, probably." Severus nodded. He stood. "You should go study. You wouldn't want to keep Miss Granger waiting."

"You're going to lecture some more, aren't you? I mean lecture him?"

"That's none of your business." Severus said sternly.

"Alright, alright," Elizabeth stood up. "I guess… I mean… everybody deserves a dad, right?"

Severus kissed her head and hugged her to his robes. "I love you," he said softly.

When she was gone, Severus settled back at the table with Draco.

"Do you remember the cat?' He asked gently.

Draco bit his lip. "Yeah."

Severus raised an eyebrow.

"I mean, yes, sir."

"Do you remember how you felt that day?" Severus asked.

"I was a kid."

"I know. It was before you'd made yourself immune to the pain of others." He looked carefully at the boy. "It's dangerous to not feel, Draco. It's the first thing your father looks for in new Death Eaters. Sociopathic tendencies. He touts that it's strength, but it's not. Strength is doing what is right regardless of how it makes you feel, just like courage is pushing on despite fear. When you feel nothing, you have no need to be strong."

"Why are you telling me this?"

Severus' eyes burned into his. "Because a Slytherin is strong, Mr. Malfoy. You control your emotions, you don't just push them down and away. You channel them. As you've gotten older, I've seen that you are either completely cold or exploding."

Draco dropped his eyes to the floor. "What do you care?"

"Pardon me?" Severus raised an eyebrow.

Draco glared at him. "What do you care, _sir_?"

"I care, Mr. Malfoy, because I see a potential for good in you. I promised you long ago that I'd protect you. Part of protecting you is protecting your soul. You are dangerously close to giving your soul to a dead wizard who didn't deserve it when he was alive. I want you to avoid that." His face softened a bit. "If you're still worried about who's side to be on in this, Draco, remember who used to hold you on his lap and clean your wounds after a session with your father."

Draco blushed. "I'm too old to sit on your lap."

Severus smirked. "Perhaps."

"I just…" Draco put his forehead hands. "He'll never forgive me. He wants me to take the mark when I turn 13. He never asked if I wanted to… he just said I would."

"Have you tried telling him no?" Severus asked, already knowing the answer.

"And have my brains spattered on the concrete?" Draco snorted. "I've had the shit beat out of me enough, thank you."

"Language, Draco," Severus scolded mildly. "And if you've made up your mind, I can help you. We can keep you away from everything Dark until you are of age and no longer need your father to survive."

"I don't know if I've made up my mind," Draco said quietly. "Maybe I'm just Dark."

"Draco—

"No." Draco said, even softer. "What makes you think that I have any Light in me anymore? I'm not a child."

"You are a child. And there is Light in everyone." Severus put his hand on Draco's shoulder. "Just the fact that we're having this conversation tells me that there is enough Light in you."

"People don't come back from the Dark," Draco whispered. "Look at Sirius Black—

"Don't speak his name in my presence," Severus said shortly. "Never compare yourself to that man, unless you want me to wash your mouth out."

"Yes, sir. I'm sorry." Draco fidgeted.

Severus sighed. "That's enough heavy conversation for right now. I'm sure you have studying to do." He stood and walked the younger wizard to the door.

"Yeah…" Draco smiled ruefully. "My Potions professor is a slave driver…"

Severus cuffed him lightly across the back of the head. "Get out of here, brat."


	6. A Prank?

October arrived, and with it a damp chill that produced perfect conditions for a rash of colds spreading through the castle. Pepperup Potion worked quickly, but Madam Pomfrey was keeping students overnight after administering it, to keep the virus contained.

Which is how Draco Malfoy and Elizabeth Evans ended up side by side in the hospital wing, Severus Snape sitting in an armchair between them.

"Really, Dad, can't you ask Madam Pomfrey if I can go back to the Tower? I hate it here."

"If I kept you from everything you hated, we would be on a Quidditch pitch with cake." Severus laid his hand on her forehead. "Poppy wants to make sure that your fever is gone and that you aren't going to start an epidemic amongst the lions."

"I hate to agree with Evans, but it's undignified to lay here when you aren't even sick," Draco grumbled.

"Well, at least you are in agreement," Severus said blithely. "Although I'd say it's undignified to whine like a toddler."

The door opened to reveal Fred Weasley, coughing.

Madam Pomfrey clicked her tongue. "Come on then, a bed right here," she gestured to the bed beside Elizabeth. "Pepperup for you, my dear." She transfigured Fred's clothes into pajamas and dosed him with a vial off her cart.

Smoke billowed from Fred's ears, causing Elizabeth to giggle.

"Watch it, Evans," Fred mock growled.

"I am watching it," she laughed.

"Hush, both of you," Poppy scolded. "Severus, if you're going to be here, at least help me maintain order."

"I'm here only another minute, Madam Pomfrey. I have to be in the Great Hall for dinner soon." He leaned over his daughter, feeling her forehead again. "Behave yourself, young lady. I'll be back later this evening. If you're feeling better, I might be able to convince your warden to let me take you down to our quarters for the night." He leaned down to kiss her forehead and she dodged.

"Dad!" She hissed, embarrassed.

Severus rolled his eyes. "My apologies, I'm sure." He smirked down at her before vanishing out the door in a swirl of robes.

When he was gone, Fred cast a silencing spell over his bed and Elizabeth's. "George and I watched the Snakes practice last night. Those new Nimbus brooms are wicked fast. Nothing but green blurs. Like missiles. We need a game plan."

"Yeah, like we all find a million Galleons, buy new brooms, and become crimson blurs?" Elizabeth groaned. She'd missed practice because of her cold. Or, rather, because Severus had thrown her over his shoulder and carried her to the hospital wing when he found her sneezing and coughing in the rain on the way to practice.

In his defense, he'd tried to get her to come quietly. She wasn't sure what made her think that he would let her walk away from an instruction like, "Get inside, right now," but pretending not to hear him was not a good strategy.

Fred canceled the silencing charm. "Do we get dinner in this place?"

"Don't worry, Mr. Weasley, you'll be fed," Poppy said briskly, waving her wand over Draco.

Elizabeth stared at the ceiling. "You won't die of a cold or hunger here, but you just might die of boredom."

"Is that what your father meant by behaving, Miss Evans?" Poppy glared at her charge.

"No, ma'am." Elizabeth shot a look at Fred who was barely suppressing a laugh.

"Better to die of boredom than to be beheaded," Nearly Headless Nick drifted into the hospital wing. "Or at least badly beheaded. Should be a crime." He settled on the windowsill.

"What's wrong, Sir Nicholas?" Fred rolled his eyes at Elizabeth as he spoke.

"Oh…" the ghost moaned. "The idiots at the Headless Hunt have denied my application… again."

"That's a shame, Sir Nicholas," Elizabeth said sympathetically.

"Not that I really wanted to do it," Nicholas droned in a voice that told his audience that he absolutely _did _want to do it. "But you would think that getting hacked in the neck 45 times would qualify you for the Hunt."

"45 times?" Elizabeth felt a little sick.

"The axe was blunt," Nicholas snapped.

"Or he was just hard-headed. Like all Gryffindors."

"Shut up, Malfoy. This is a human discussion." Fred growled.

"Then how come you're in it, Weasley?" Draco sneered.

"I'm sorry about the Hunt, Sir Nicholas," Elizabeth interjected.

"I just…" Nicholas looked wistfully out the window. "It's going to be my 500th deathday on Halloween this year, you know?"

"I didn't," Elizabeth said, not really sure if she should have known it or not.

"I'm having a deathday party… but I don't think anyone will come…"

"We'll come!" It slipped out of Elizabeth's mouth before she could stop it.

"Who do you mean, we?" Draco asked incredulously from his bed.

"I'm sure you'd rather be at the school feast," Nicholas said drearily.

"No, really," Elizabeth shrugged at Fred. No going back now. "We'll go."

*S*S*S*

"A deathday party?" Severus was sitting on Elizabeth's bed, shaking the thermometer.

"Nearly Headless Nick was so sad about the Headless Hunt, so I said we'd go," Elizabeth shrugged.

"Who's we?"

"Fred and I. Maybe Hermione and Ron, I haven't asked them yet."

"Take Draco with you," Severus said. "Open up," He put the thermometer in her mouth before she could protest.

"MMmmph," Elizabeth gave it her best try to speak around the piece of glass.

"Hold still," Severus scolded. "And don't argue with me about Draco. Take him with you. It will be a chance for you two to get to know each other better." He took her pulse before taking out the thermometer and examining it. "Your fever isn't falling as quickly as I'd like."

"Draco isn't going to want to go," Elizabeth protested, mouth free. "And why do you use that thing? Madam Pomfrey uses her wand to check for fever."

"Habit, I suppose. Your mother and I tended toward Muggle methods when it came to common tasks." He stowed the thermometer. "I'll speak to Draco. I'd like you to be a good influence on him," he leveled his gaze at her. "A _good_ influence."

"I'm sick," she said plaintively, not wanting to talk about Draco anymore.

Severus smirked. "And bearing it angelically." He tucked the blankets around her. "You should be well in the morning. You'll stay here tonight so I can make sure your fever is gone when you wake up." He stood. "I'll be back shortly, I'm going to check on the Snakes in the hospital wing."

Snape strode from the room to the hospital wing, where Fred, Draco, and now another child, a Slytherin first year named Pomona, were still lying. The girl was sleeping, and Severus' quick check of her forehead found it cool. Fred waved. _The gull of children today_, Severus mourned his loss of terror for the Gryffindor and vowed to torture a first year or two the next day.

Draco's eyes were closed. Severus cast a silencing spell over the bed and sat down. "While I commend you attempting to adhere to your bedtime, young man, your fake sleeping act could use some work."

Draco peeked under his eyelids. "What?"

Severus scowled, "Pardon me?"

"What, sir?" Draco yawned.

"Are you feeling better?"

"Yes, sir." Draco started to sit up, and Severus motioned him back. He felt the child's forehead.

"You're still a little warm," he smirked as Draco hurriedly smoothed his blonde locks. "Don't worry, you have enough product in your hair to protect it from a nuclear explosion."

"I'm fine," the Slytherin said, around another yawn.

"Madam Pomfrey and I will determine that in the morning. This seems to be a particularly virulent strain of illness."

"I'm bored."

"You're whining," Severus stood. "Sleep. I'll see you in the morning."

"How come Elizabeth gets to get out of here?"

Severus rolled his eyes. "Would you rather sleep in the dungeons?"

"I always sleep in the dungeons," Draco muttered.

"I suppose my question would be more accurately phrased as 'would you rather spend the night on a sofa in the dungeons?"

"Maybe," Draco said quietly.

Severus sighed. "If you insist on acting like a petulant child, I suppose you deserve to sleep on a sofa instead of a perfectly comfortable bed."

"Really?" Draco perked considerably.

Severus cancelled the silencing charm. "Mr. Weasley, please inform Madam Pomfrey that Mr. Malfoy left the hospital wing under my care when she arrives in the morning."

"Yes, sir." Fred gave Draco a strange look, but didn't say anything else.

"Come along, Mr. Malfoy," Severus strode from the room and waited until the door of the hospital wing was securely closed before dropping his arm around the boy's shoulders. "Elizabeth tells me that you two are going to a deathday party on Halloween."

"I am not," Draco protested, leaning into Severus' side as much as he dared.

"Going back on a promise, are you?"

"I didn't promise!" Draco wondered if it was worth glaring at the older man.

"Elizabeth promised, and you did nothing to separate yourself." Severus escorted the child down to the dungeons. "I would like you and Elizabeth to become better acquainted," Severus said quietly as he opened the portrait.

Severus pointed to the sofa and conjured blankets and a pillow.

"I'll wake you for breakfast," Severus stood awkwardly beside the sofa, trying to determine his role. Tuck him in? Walk away?

In the end, he settled for a brief pat on the shoulder before he extinguished the candles. "Goodnight, Mr. Malfoy."

"Goodnight, sir."

Severus went into Elizabeth's room. The dark-haired girl was lying nestled in her bed, just where he'd left her. Sitting beside her, he brushed the hair out of her face. "We want our children to obey," he murmured to himself, picking invisible lint off the bedspread. "We can only hope that what we're telling them to do is right." Severus looked at his daughter, and felt an unease in his stomach. _Lucius thinks he's right_, Severus thought. _He's leading his son in what he believes is a righteous path. _He leaned down and kissed Elizabeth's forehead. "Let's pray the next generation is smarter," he whispered and retired to his own room.

*S*S*S*

"Let's go," Draco muttered on Halloween, after spending an excruciating amount of time with Elizabeth, Hermione, and Ron at the deathday party.

"I hate to agree with Malfoy," Ron said, eyeing the door, "But I don't know how much more of this I can take."

Elizabeth led them backward to the door, a smile plastered on her face.

"Pudding might not be finished yet," Ron said when they'd escaped and were on their way to the Great Hall.

"Weird," Malfoy muttered. "Leave it to you, Weasley. Hanging out with ghosts."

"Hey!" Ron protested. "It was Elizabeth that wanted to come to the bloody thing."

"Nearly Headless…" Elizabeth started to explain again, but trailed off when she heard it.

"…_rip…tear…kill…"_

It was the same voice, the same cold, murderous voice she'd heard during her detention with Lockhart.

"Elizabeth?" Hermione looked at her. "What—

"Do you hear that?"

"What?" Ron looked around.

"It's that voice again— shut up a minute—

"…_soo hungry…for so long…"_

"What do you mean, _again_?" Malfoy asked. "You've become a nutter, Evans?"

"Listen!" Elizabeth ordered.

"…_kill…time to kill…"_

The voice was fading. Elizabeth was sure that it was moving upward. How was that possible?

"This way," she began to run, up the stairs, into the entrance hall. It was no good hoping to hear anything here, the babble of talk from the Halloween feast was echoing out of the Great Hall. Elizabeth sprinted up the stairs to the first floor, Ron and Hermione racing behind her, Draco following at a brisk, noncommittal walk.

"Elizabeth, what are we—"

"SHH!"

Elizabeth strained her ears. Distantly, from the floor above, and growing fainter, she heard the voice: "_…I smell blood…I SMELL BLOOD!"_

"It's going to kill someone!" she shouted. Ignoring the other students, she ran up the next flight of stairs, trying to listen—

She hurtled around the second floor, Ron and Hermione following, not stopping until they turned a corner into the last, deserted passage.

"Elizabeth, what was that all about?" Ron wiped the sweat off his face.

"Where did Malfoy—" Hermione cut herself off with a gasp. "Look!"

Something was shining on the wall ahead. They approached slowly, squinting through the darkness. Foot-high words had been daubed on the wall between two windows, shimmering in the light cast by the flaming torches.

THE CHAMBER OF SECRETS HAS BEEN

OPENED, ENEMIES OF THE HEIR, BEWARE.

"What's that thing… hanging underneath?" Ron squinted harder.

As they edged nearer, Elizabeth almost slipped on a puddle of water on the floor. Hermione grabbed her, and they inched closer, eyes fixed on the dark shadow under the message. All three of them realized what it was at once, and leapt backward with a splash.

Mrs. Norris, the caretaker's cat, was hanging by her tail from the torch bracket. She was stiff as a board, her eyes wide and staring.

For a few seconds, they didn't move. Then Ron said, "Let's get out of here."

"Shouldn't we try and help—" Elizabeth started awkwardly.

"Trust me," said Ron. "We don't want to be found here."

"Too late, Mr. Weasley," Severus, followed by Draco, arrived on the scene.

"Enemies of the Heir, beware." Draco read aloud.

"Mr. Malfoy, your dormitory. Now." Severus pointed back down the stairs.

"What's going on here, Elizabeth Rose?" Severus looked from his daughter to the wall.

"Dad—

"My cat! My cat! What's happened to Mrs. Norris?" Filch's voice shrieked through the hall. He looked around and spotted Elizabeth. "YOU! You murdered my cat! Snape! Your daughter—

Albus appeared, Minerva and Lockhart in tow, assessing the situation quickly before detaching Mrs. Norris from where she hung.

"Come with me, Argus," he said to Filch. "You as well, Miss Evans, Mr. Weasley, Miss Granger."

"My office is nearest, Headmaster— just upstairs— please feel free—" Lockhart almost skipped with excitement.

On the way to Lockhart's office, Elizabeth felt Severus' hand close around her upper arm. "Dad—

Severus just stopped, keeping her with him as the others went on. When they were several paces ahead, he looked down at her. "Explain."

"Dad, we didn't do it—

"You were just found in a corridor with a dead cat and blood all over the walls, Elizabeth. I want to hear what happened."

"We didn't do anything," Elizabeth blurted, stumbling over the story. "We came up here, and Malfoy disappeared, and Mrs. Norris was there, and the blood, and I almost fell on the wet floor—

"And you saw no one?" Severus asked sharply.

"No, sir. It was like that when we got there, and there was no one—

"Severus! Miss Evans!" Albus called from the doorway of the office. "Join us, won't you?"

"Dad—

"Come," Severus had his hand on her arm again, his robes swirling as she was ushered into the office.

"It was definitely a curse that killed her," Lockhart was saying. "Probably the Transmogrifican Torture. I've seen it used many times, so unlucky I wasn't there. I know the very countercurse that would have saved her…"

Filch was crying in a chair by the desk. Minerva was bent over the cat on one side of the desk while Albus examined it from the other side.

Ron and Hermione were against one wall. Elizabeth started to go toward them, but Severus wouldn't let go of her arm.

"She's not dead, Argus," Dumbledore said softly a few minutes later.

"Not dead?" choked Filch, looking through his fingers. "But why's she all— all stiff and frozen?"

"She's been Petrified," said Dumbledore. "But how, I cannot say…"

"Ask her!" shrieked Filch, turning his tearstained face to Elizabeth.

"No second year could have done this," Dumbledore said firmly.

"She was right there!" Filch spat. "You saw what she wrote on the wall! She must have heard… she must know… I'm a…" Filch sputtered. "She must know I'm a Squib!"

"I never touched Mrs. Norris," Elizabeth shouted. "And I don't even know what a Squib is."

"Rubbish!" snarled Filch.

"Enough," Severus said quietly. "Perhaps this would be better discussed without the presence of the emotionally bereaved." He gestured to Filch.

"My cat has been Petrified!" Filch shrieked again. "I want to see some punishment!"

"I suggest, Headmaster, that we allow Lockhart to brew a restorative, since he seems so knowledgeable on the subject, and we move this to my office." Snape raised one eyebrow in the crying man's direction.

"I'm sure the children had nothing to so with this, Severus," Albus said. "You may go," he looked at the trio.

Ron and Hermione bolted for the door, but Severus held Elizabeth back. "Stay," he ordered, and turned to Albus. "If you'll excuse me, Headmaster, I need to speak with my daughter."

"Dad!"

"Silence." His eyes blazed.

A moment later they were striding down the stairs, Elizabeth hurrying to keep up with Snape's longer stride. When they reached the quarters, Severus released her arm. His expression was severe as he pointed to the sofa. "Sit."

She didn't sit. Instead, she launched herself at his waist. "Dad, I swear, we didn't do anything, I promise, I wouldn't—

"Hush, you foolish monster," Severus said, his voice gentler. "I know you and the wandering squad were not responsible for that display." Elizabeth felt his arms close around her. "I want to know why you were there at all."

Elizabeth had felt a momentary calm when he'd understood she hadn't petrified a cat, but dread came back at his next statement. How do you tell someone that you are hearing voices? No one else was hearing them… maybe she was crazy.

"We got lost," she said lamely.

"Hmm," Elizabeth could feel his eyes boring into the top of her head. "Is that so?"

"Yeah," Elizabeth mumbled into his robes.

"You got lost in a castle you've lived in for a year an a half?"

Elizabeth couldn't find her voice.

Severus walked her to the sofa and sat with her. "Why were you in that corridor, hatchling?"

Elizabeth squirmed a little.

"Elizabeth." Severus' voice had gained its edge again.

"I heard something," she whispered.

"Heard what?"

"A voice," Elizabeth's voice was almost imperceptible.

"A voice," Severus nodded. "What did the voice say?"

Her head snapped up. "You believe me?"

Severus raised an eyebrow. "Is there a reason I shouldn't?"

Elizabeth shook her head. "I'm crazy."

Severus smirked. "I doubt that." He sat back and pulled her close to his side. "What did the voice say?"

"That it smelled blood," Elizabeth whispered. "That it wanted to rip and kill."

Severus schooled his features into calm. "And no one else heard the voice?" He knew the answer. Draco's report of 'Evans's gone crazy, hearing voices and whatnot' when the boy had come to the Great Hall gave him the information on that front. Elizabeth shook her head.

"Is this the first time you've heard it?"

She shook her head again. "In Lockhart's office," she said quietly. "When I had detention that one night."

Severus frowned. "Are you sure?"

"Yes, sir."

Severus was saved from having to come up with something to say as the floo roared to life and Lupin appeared. "I heard that there's something rotten in the state of Hogwarts."

"Moony!" Elizabeth waved from her position on the sofa.

"Hey there, trouble maker." Remus ruffled her hair. He exchanged a look with Severus.

"Hatchling, go get ready for bed." Severus tapped her leg.

"Can't I go to the Tower?"

"Not tonight," Severus said firmly.

"But it's only 8, and I didn't get to eat anything at the deathday party—

"Get ready for bed and you can do your homework in your room. I'll send for a snack."

"Dad—

"Go. I'll be in to check on you in a while." Severus pointed to her bedroom.

"Fine." She blew air out of her mouth, ruffling her bangs.

"And you can get rid of the attitude, or it will be lettuce sandwiches for you."

"I love lettuce," she sassed, glaring at him as she shut the door of her room.

Severus rolled his eyes and called for a house elf.

"A lettuce sandwich for Miss Evans now, and then a plate of food from the Feast in about 20 minutes."

"You're terrible," Remus rolled his eyes. "My inside sources say there was a disturbance tonight."

"Inside sources?" Severus smirked.

"Ginny Weasley firecalled her mother, who called me."

"Merlin, news travels fast. Why would she call you?"

"Because she tried to call you and Albus, but neither of you were in your offices. It's good to know that I'm the fall back plan for protective mothers."

Severus rolled his eyes. "There was a… fairly violent prank. At least, I hope it's a prank. Committed by my own House, would be my guess, since it radiated pure-blood nonsense." He rubbed a hand over his face. "It's either an older student, a younger student with Dark ties, or, perhaps the most likely, we have a rogue teacher on our hands."

"Wouldn't be the first time," Remus crossed his arms.

"No, and I'd love to think it was Lockhart, but he may be the wrong kind of idiot for this." He frowned. "Elizabeth found it," he looked at the closed bedroom door. "A petrified cat hanging from a torch hook…"

"You're keeping her here tonight for the nightmares?"

"That's my excuse tonight," Severus nodded. "And tomorrow I'll think of something else."

"Just call you 'Molly Weasley'."

Severus glared. "Until I figure out who is petrifying things in the castle, I'm keeping her where I can see her."

"Good thing you live in the dungeon. It makes the whole incarceration thing so real."

"Are you here to help or to be obnoxious?"

Remus grinned. "I'm not sure that I can be much help. However, I can stay with the prisoner while you interrogate your students if you'd like."

"It can wait until morning. Really I only want to speak with Draco. As I said, it's not likely that it is a child. Which also makes it not a prank." He sighed.

"Then why do you need the Malfoy boy?"

"This reeks of a Lucius Malfoy plot. I want to know what his son knows."

"You're going to get yourself killed."

"Hopefully not," Severus shook his head. "It's just time for me to become a little more visibly Light-affiliated, don't you think?"

"Maybe." Remus shrugged. "But Malfoy is a hell of an opponent for you to start out with."

Severus snorted. "I've got a nearly teenage daughter. Nothing scares me anymore." He stood. "I'd better make sure she hasn't conjured a window to climb out of."

Elizabeth was lying on her bed, still dressed, reading a Quidditch magazine.

"That doesn't look like being ready for bed or homework, young lady," Severus plucked the magazine from her hands.

"I'm finished with my homework, and it's too early to get ready for bed."

"Up and in the shower, please," he pointed to the bathroom door. He glanced at the desk. "Why didn't you eat your supper?"

"I ate the lettuce sandwich," Elizabeth smiled sweetly as she went into the bathroom. "I told you I like lettuce."

Severus shook his head. "Shower and then back out here and eat a proper meal." He heard the water running and Elizabeth singing. "Did I say 'nearly teenage'?" he grumbled to himself.

*S*S*S*

An hour later, the shower was complete, homework was done and checked, supper was eaten, and Severus was pulling the covers up over his green-eyed child. Remus leaned against the door jam.

"Dad?"

"Yes?" Severus smoothed the blankets.

"I'm not crazy, right? You don't think I'm crazy?"

Severus' brow furrowed. "More than any hormone-crazed teenage girl? No."

"It's just… the voice…" Elizabeth grimaced.

Severus sighed. "I don't know, hatchling. I'm going to look into it." He kissed her forehead. "In the meantime, don't worry."

"I'll try," Elizabeth wiggled under the covers. "It's too early to sleep."

"I'm going to have to start keeping you here every night if your grandmother can't make her students conform to a bedtime," Severus said firmly. "You need sleep, and you will go to bed at a decent hour."

"No one gets tucked in anymore," she grumbled.

"Well, aren't you just the luckiest child in the universe then, hmm?" Severus tucked the blankets firmly around her before retreating to the living room, leaving the door cracked open.


	7. Tubeworms and Bludgers

"Miss Evans, stay behind," Severus said the next Wednesday at the end of Potions. The other students filed out, leaving Elizabeth sitting at her worktable.

Severus erased the instructions from the chalkboard and started to write the instructions for his next class before speaking. "Do you have an explanation for coming to class unprepared today?"

Elizabeth squirmed a bit on her stool. "I thought I was, sir."

"Really?" Severus asked dryly. "Then why, when asked for the 5 properties of tube worms, you answered, 'umm… they are tubelike'?" He continued to write.

"I just missed that part," Elizabeth whispered.

"In the chapter devoted to tube worms and their uses that was the entirety of the assignment?" Chalk continued to scrape on the board.

"I skimmed it… There's this History of Magic essay—

"Elizabeth Rose."

"I'm sorry, Dad."

"Hmm," Severus finished writing and turned to her, picking up a second year Potion book from his desk. "Let's review, shall we?" He flipped to chapter 7. "I will read, and you will scrub the tube worms in question off the tables as you listen."

"Dad!"

"Do I need to continue my lecture about being unprepared?"

"No, sir. I'm sorry," Elizabeth picked up the scouring pad Severus indicated.

Severus cleared his throat and began to read. "Tube worms, or _tuberpillar_, serve as the base for several Potions..."

*S*S*

"I don't believe it, I'm still eight inches short…" Ron let his parchment spring back into a roll and sank back in his library chair.

"Where's Hermione?" Elizabeth threw her bag down and sat across from Ron, inspecting her fingernails for tubeworm residue.

"Somewhere over there," Rob pointed to the shelves. "Looking for another book."

As if on cue, Hermione emerged from the shelves. "All the copies of _Hogwarts, A History_ have been taken out," she said, clearly irritated.

"Why do you want it?" Elizabeth reached into her bag for her Potions book.

"The same reason everyone else wants it," said Hermione, "to read up on the legend of the Chamber of Secrets."

"What's that?"

"That's just it. I can't remember," said Hermione, "And I can't find the story anywhere else—

"Hermione, let me read your composition," said Ron desperately.

"No, I won't," Hermione snapped. "You've had ten days to finish it—

"I only need another two inches, come on—

Hermione pointedly ignored Ron. "Do you think your dad has a copy?"

"Probably," Elizabeth shrugged. "But he's not really in the favor giving mood right now." She held up her Potions book. "If I'm not prepared for class again, I'm grounded until Christmas."

"You should have started the essay earlier," Hermione said haughtily.

"Yeah, I get that, thanks," Elizabeth snapped.

"Come on, Hermione, two inches. That's it. Just two—

The bell rang.

"Just ask him, okay?" Hermione grabbed her books off the table and started toward the door.

"Maybe. I don't know." Elizabeth followed with Ron behind, still begging for essay help. "He's cross."

"He's Snape," Ron said. "Isn't he always cross?"

"Not with me," Elizabeth mumbled.

*S*S*

History of Magic was… interesting. At least the last five minutes were interesting, as they watched Hermione pump Professor Binns for information about the Chamber of Secrets.

"I always knew Salazar Slytherin was a twisted old loony," Ron said on the way back to the Tower. "But I never knew he started all this pure-blood stuff. I wouldn't be in his House if you paid me. Honestly, if the Sorting Hat had tried to put me in Slytherin, I'd have got on the train straight away—

"Ron!" Hermione elbowed him in the ribs and gestured to Elizabeth.

"Oh," Ron looked abased. "Well, I mean, your dad's not like that."

"Look," Hermione pointed at the wall. They were in the same corridor where the attack had happened. This time, an empty chair stood against the wall with the message "The Chamber of Secrets Has Been Opened," scrawled across the back.

Elizabeth looked around for Filch, but saw no one.

"Come and look at this!" Hermione called from the window. Elizabeth crossed the corridor and squinted up at where Hermione was pointing. A cluster of spiders was fleeing through a small crack.

"Have you ever seen spiders act like that?" Hermione tilted her head to get a better look. "Ron? Ron?"

"I— don't— like— spiders," Ron said tensely.

"I never knew that," Hermione said, turning her attention to Ron. "You've used them in Potions loads of times."

"I don't mind them dead," Ron muttered.

"Hey, what happened to the water?" Elizabeth changed the subject, and Ron sent her a thankful glance.

"Someone must have mopped it up," Ron said, moving back across the corridor. "It was about here, level with this door." He started to open the door, then pulled his hand back. "Can't go in there."

Hermione glanced at the sign that denoted the room as the girl's toilet and rolled her eyes. "Oh, that's Moaning Myrtle's place. There won't be anyone in there. Come on, let's have a look." She pushed the door open.

Elizabeth had never been inside this particular girl's toilet, as she had obeyed the OUT OF ORDER sign. When she walked in, she had a strong urge to walk back out. It was the gloomiest, most depressing bathroom she'd ever seen. Under a large, cracked, and spotted mirror was a row of chipped sinks. The floor was damp and reflected the dull light given off by the stubs of a few candles, burning low in their holders; the wooden doors to the stalls were flaking and scratched and one of them was dangling off its hinges.

Hermione crept down the row of stalls to the end. "Hello, Myrtle, how are you?"

Elizabeth and Ron followed. Moaning Myrtle was floating above the rank of the toilet, picking a spot on her chin.

"This is the _girls'_ bathroom," she said looking at Ron with contempt. "He's not a girl. Is she," Myrtle looked at Elizabeth, "a Ravenclaw at heart like you?" she asked Hermione.

"Gryffindor," Elizabeth said, then blushed, realizing that she'd just admitted to not being bright. "Not that… I um…"

"I just wanted to show them how nice it is in here," Hermione said quickly. "We wanted to ask if you've seen anything funny lately. A cat was attacked right outside your front door on Halloween."

"Did you see anyone near here that night?" Elizabeth asked.

"I wasn't paying attention," Myrtle said dramatically. "Peeves upset me so much I came in here and tried to kill myself. That, of course, didn't work—

"Let's go," Elizabeth said. "She doesn't know anything."

Chased by a long wail from Myrtle, they quickly left the room. Elizabeth had barely closed the door when—

"RON!"

Percy Weasley had stopped dead at the head of the stairs, prefect badge glinting, an expression of shock on his face.

"That's a girls' bathroom!" he blustered. "What were you—?"

"Just having a look around," Ron shrugged.

Percy swelled in a manner that reminded Elizabeth of Mrs. Weasley. Elizabeth giggled to herself, thinking that adults had funny ways of showing anger. Mrs. Weasley swelled up; Minerva's face kind of shriveled. Severus got taller and his robes billowed more, unless he was disappointed, and then he got… naked somehow. Not literally, obviously, but he was kind of… deflated.

Ron and Percy were still arguing.

"Five points from Gryffindor!" Percy was proclaiming. "And I hope it teaches you a lesson! No more _detective work_, or I'll write to Mum!"

*S*S*

"Dad?" Elizabeth called when she was inside their quarters.

"Elizabeth?" Severus came out of his bedroom, wearing only his potions jacket and slacks. "I thought I told you not to walk the halls alone."

"Sorry," Elizabeth shifted on her feet. "I just… Hermione needed a copy of _Hogwarts, A History_, and they're out in the library. Can we borrow yours?"

Severus nodded. "It's on the shelf. Project?"

Elizabeth shrugged. "She wants to know about the Chamber of Secrets."

Severus scowled. "You shouldn't worry about that, Elizabeth Rose. You need to focus on your school work."

"I know… it's just Hermione." She pulled the book off the shelf.

"Maybe you should stay here tonight," Severus said, crossing his arms over his chest.

"No! Dad! Really, she's just reading. We're not doing anything."

"Hm," Severus narrowed his eyes. "Put that down and come here a moment."

"Dad!"

"Elizabeth." Severus leaned against his desk. "Come here."

Elizabeth dropped the book on the coffee table and went over to him.

"There's no need to throw books," Severus chided, putting his hands on her shoulders. "Elizabeth, you understand that this is nothing you can fix, correct?"

"Dad, I told you—

"You're just reading, I know," Severus looked down at her. "Reading only, understand? The Chamber of Secrets is very likely a myth and a scare tactic devised by whoever is behind this. While the faculty determines the origin of this madness, you will do as I've told you and stay safe. Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes, sir," she nodded.

"Good," Severus tilted his head to see her face better. "What else is going on?"

"I didn't mean to make you angry earlier…" she mumbled.

"Oh, hatchling," Severus pulled her to his chest. "I wasn't angry. A bit irritated, perhaps."

"I'm sorry," she muttered into his potions jacket.

Severus rubbed her back. "You have to remember that academics are your first priority."

"I know."

"Do I need to require you to spend your after class time in my office studying?"

"No, sir. I'll do better, I promise."

"See that you do," Severus smoothed her hair. "You need a haircut, my little monster."

"I like it long," she pulled away and gave as much of a Snape glare as she could muster.

"You look like a fortune teller," he said, gathering her hair into a ponytail. "I can just—

"No!" Elizabeth sprung back. "I'll have Hermione do it, I swear!"

Severus chuckled. "I'm that bad?"

"I'll have Hermione do it," she held her hair protectively in one hand.

"Alright, but I want to see it cut by Monday or it's the Snape Scissors for you," Severus ruffled her hair. "Get your book, and you can floo back to the common room."

"Students aren't supposed to use the floo," Elizabeth dutifully picked up _Hogwarts, a History_.

"I have it set so that you can floo from here to your common room and back. You can't go elsewhere unless I'm here to say the incantation."

"You could have told me that! Then I wouldn't have had to walk alone down here."

"You could have obeyed and gone through your grandmother," Severus said gently pushing her toward the fireplace.

"Goodnight," Elizabeth stretched up to kiss his cheek. Severus let her struggle for a moment before bending down.

"Goodnight, hatchling."

*S*S*

"Who can it be, though?" Hermione said, slamming shut the _Hogwarts_ book. "There's nothing new in here, but it's pretty clear that the heir of Slytherin is needed to open the Chamber."

"Let's think," said Ron with mock puzzlement. "Who do we know who thinks Muggle-borns are scum?"

"If you're talking about Malfoy—

"Of course I am!" said Ron. "You heard him on the pitch."

"Malfoy, the Heir of Slytherin?"

"He is always boasting about how his whole family's been in Slytherin." Elizabeth said, "And his father is definitely evil enough. But my dad talked to him after Halloween, and Malfoy says that his dad is happy about the Chamber, but he didn't have anything to do with it."

"Of course he said that! Doesn't want to get expelled, now, does he?" Ron shook his head. "They could have had the key to the Chamber for centuries. Handing it down, father to son…"

"Well, I suppose it's possible…" Hermione looked at Elizabeth. "Do you think Draco would risk making your dad that angry?"

"He risks it all the time," Elizabeth shrugged. "He's in trouble constantly. Besides, if he's the Heir, then he doesn't really need to be afraid of my dad, does he?"

"There might be a way," said Hermione slowly, glancing around the common room. "To prove it, I mean. It would be difficult, and dangerous. And breaking about 50 school rules—

"What?" Ron asked impatiently.

"Go into the Slytherin common room and ask Malfoy a few questions without his realizing it's us."

"That's impossible," Elizabeth said as Ron laughed. "I've only been in their common room once, and Dad watched me like a hawk the whole time. It's not like we'll just be invited in."

"It's not impossible," Hermione said impatiently. "All we'd need would be some Polyjuice Potion."

"What's that?" Ron was digging in his bag for chocolate frogs.

"Snape mentioned it in class a few weeks ago—

"I have better things to do than listen to Snape," Ron mumbled.

"You should listen," Elizabeth said ruefully. "Otherwise, you might end up scrubbing tubeworms off desks for half an hour."

"Is that why he kept you after?" Ron asked. "To scrub worms?"

"Worm scrubbing while listening to him read the chapter I didn't read," Elizabeth grumbled.

"Was he still mad when you went down to get the book?"

"He says he wasn't mad, he was 'irritated'," Elizabeth shrugged.

"Whatever, my mum always says she's 'irritated' too, but it just means she's brassed off." Ron unwrapped a frog.

"Could you two focus for a minute?" Hermione asked impatiently. "Polyjuice Potion turns you into somebody else. Think about it! We could change into three of the Slytherins. No one would know it was us; Malfoy would probably tell us anything. He's probably boasting about it in the Slytherin common room right now, if only we could hear him."

"What if we get stuck looking like that?" Ron frowned.

"It wears off after awhile," Elizabeth said, "I think I remember something about it. Dad said it was an advanced potion, not something you learn at Hogwarts."

"It's in a book called _Moste Potente Potions_," Hermione said. "I imagine it would be in the Restricted Section."

"We'd need a signed note from a teacher," Ron said around the chocolate frog in his mouth. "Do you…" he looked at Elizabeth.

"No way. Not a chance." Elizabeth waved a hand like she was stopping a car. "He believes in the Restriction Section so much that he has one at home."

"I think," said Hermione, "that if we made it sound as though we were just interested in the theory, we might stand a chance…"

"Oh, come on, no teacher's going to fall for that," said Ron. "They'd have to be really thick…"

*S*S*

"I don't believe it," Elizabeth said as the three of them hurried out of Defense class the next day. "He didn't even look at the book we wanted."

"That's because he's a brainless git," said Ron. "But who cares, we've got what we needed—

"He's not a brainless git," Hermione defended.

"Whatever," Elizabeth said. "Can you guys get the book on your own? Madam Pince is bound to mention a Restricted Potions book to my dad."

"Yeah, we'll meet you in Myrtle's bathroom in a little while."

Elizabeth trotted off, arriving in Snape's office in record time.

"Come in," came the tired reply to her knock.

"Hi, Dad."

"Hello, hatchling." Severus' voice sounded a little less weary. "To what do I owe this visit?"

"Is it okay? Are you busy?"

"It's always okay. And I am decidedly not 'busy'. You've interrupted nothing but a pile of essays written by dunderheads." He put down his quill.

"Can I talk to you about something?"

"Of course." Severus pushed his chair back. "I think it's tea time anyway." He motioned her through the portrait into their quarters.

When they'd settled with tea, Severus looked at his daughter. "Is this a conversation that I need something stronger than tea for?"

Elizabeth shook her head, then shrugged. "The… The Heir of Slytherin…"

"I shouldn't have given you that book," Severus shook his head.

"Professor Binns said—

"You've been speaking about this in classes?"

"Just the one…" Elizabeth felt the conversation slipping away from her. "It doesn't matter. I just… you don't think… it… you don't think it could be… Malfoy, do you?"

"I really wish you two could be on first name terms," Severus said, stirring his tea. "And no. I don't think so. Whoever or whatever is doing these things is far more skilled with the Dark Arts than a second year."

"People have been thinking it's me," she whispered.

Severus laughed. Loudly. And longer than she'd ever heard him laugh.

"Dad!"

Severus put his teacup down and wiped his eyes. "I'm sorry, Rosie." He opened his arms and she grudgingly leaned against him. "It's just so ridiculous that you would ever be something this evil." He squeezed her shoulder. "You just give anyone who says such a thing that glare of yours."

*S*S*

"Excuse me?" said Ron sharply. "What do you mean, a bit of whoever we're changing into? I'm drinking nothing with Crabbe's toenails in it—

"We don't have to worry about that yet," Hermione said, still looking at the book. "We add those bits last."

"I just don't know if we should do this," Elizabeth said. "Dad says that it can't possibly be a second year."

"But it could be a second year's father," Hermione said pointedly. "And Malfoy's just the type to brag about his dad."

Elizabeth wasn't sure that this was true, but she decided to let it go. She had other concerns. "Do you realize how much we're going to have to steal, Hermione? Shredded skin of a boomslang, that's definitely not in the students' cupboard. What're we going to do, break into Dad's private stores? I don't think that's a good idea… at all…"

Hermione shut the book with a snap. "Well, if you are going to chicken out, fine," she said. "I don't want to break the rules, you know. I think threatening Muggle-borns is far worse than brewing up a difficult potion. But if you don't want to find out if it's Malfoy, I'll go straight to Madam Pince now and hand the book back in—

"No, no, we'll do it," Ron said hurriedly before dropping his voice for Elizabeth's ears. "It'll be a lot less hassle if you can just knock Malfoy off his broom tomorrow."

"Not if it's his father," Elizabeth mumbled.

*S*S*

Breakfast before the game was tense. Elizabeth went down early and sat beside Fred, who didn't speak, but started a mini food fight with the tops of his strawberries, pitching them onto her plate. She tossed them back when he wasn't looking, and they repeated the process until the rest of the school started filtering in.

Close to eleven, everyone wandered down to the Quidditch stadium. The team was dressed and sitting in the locker room when Wood started his usual pre-match pep talk. "Slytherin has better brooms than us," he began. "No point denying it. But we've got better people on our brooms. We've trained harder than they have, we've been flying in all weather…"

They certainly had. Elizabeth was just grateful that Severus had caught her coming back into their quarters soaking a few weekends ago so he could scold inside and not on the pitch in front of the team. She blushed just thinking of her father's tirade about pneumonia and how he was going to give Wood a piece of his mind. Luckily she had talked him out of that.

"We're going to make them rue the day they let that little bit of slime, Malfoy, buy his way onto their team." Wood turned to Elizabeth. "It'll be down to you, Evans, to show them that a Seeker has to have something more than a rich father. Get to that Snitch before Malfoy or die trying, Elizabeth, because we've got to win today, we've got to."

"Don't die," Fred whispered, poking her in the side with his elbow like it was a joke, but something in his eyes was serious.

"Don't worry," she whispered back.

*S*S*

"All right there, Scarhead?" yelled Malfoy, shooting around the pitch. He paused a moment, hovering beside her. "Daddy's not up here to make us be nice."

Elizabeth was about to snap something about how Malfoy was never nice, when a heavy black Bludger flew so close to her head that it hit her ponytail.

"Close one, Evans!" called George, flying in with his bat and whacked the Bludger off toward a Slytherin, but it changed direction in midair and came hurtling back toward Elizabeth. She dropped quickly to avoid it, and George hit it again. But it came back, like it was magnetized to Elizabeth's head.

She put on speed and zoomed down the pitch, the Bludger following her. Fred was waiting at the other end, knocking the Bludger off course, but not for long, as it kept coming.

Severus and Remus were sitting in the stands as it started to rain.

"What the hell is that Bludger doing?" Remus hissed as Severus stood to get a better look.

"I don't know, but this rain isn't going to help," Severus pressed his lips together. "I should have charmed her glasses… for safety, of course, not because I have any interest in Gryffindor winning."

"Slytherin lead, sixty points to zero—

"Doesn't seem like there's much danger of a Gryffindor win," Remus said, still eyeing the Bludger.

Fred and George had teamed up to fly on either side of Elizabeth, keeping her safe, but not giving her a chance to look for the Snitch.

"Someone's tampered with this Bludger," Fred grunted, swinging his bat.

"We need a time out," George tried to signal Wood and deflect a Bludger at the same time.

On the ground, Fred was angrier than Elizabeth had ever seen him. "Someone's fixed it— it won't leave her alone. The Slytherins must have done something to it."

"But the Bludgers have been locked in Madam Hooch's office since our last practice, and there was nothing wrong with them then…" Wood looked at Madam Hooch who was walking in their direction.

"Listen," Elizabeth said, "with you two flying around me all the time, I can't see the Snitch. Go back to the rest of the team and let me deal with the rogue one."

"Don't be thick," Fred snapped. "It'll take your head off." He turned to Wood. "You can't let her deal with that thing on her own."

"Let's ask for an inquiry," Alicia put in.

"If we stop now, we'll forfeit the match!" Elizabeth said. "And we're not losing to Slytherin just because of a crazy Bludger! Come on, Oliver, tell them to leave me alone!"

"This is all your fault," Fred scowled at Wood. "'Get the Snitch or die trying,' what a stupid thing to tell her—

Madam Hooch was at their side.

"Ready to resume play?" she asked Wood.

Wood looked at Elizabeth. "All right," he said. "Fred, George, you heard Elizabeth— leave her alone and let her deal with the Bludger on her own."

"Not a chance in hell," Fred growled.

Elizabeth turned and pushed him away from the rest of the group. "Fred Weasley, knock it off. I will be fine, but if you keep smothering me, I won't get the Snitch."

"You're going to get killed—

Elizabeth glared at him. "If a Bludger hits me, what's going to happen? I fall off my broom? Not like that hasn't happened before!"

Fred shook his head. "You're an idiot."

"I know," Elizabeth smirked.

"Alright," Fred held her by her upper arms, his elbows bent so far that they were nearly nose to nose. "But if I see you're in trouble, I'm coming back, and you better not say a thing about it."

"I suppose if that's the best I'm going to get," Elizabeth's chest caught at him being so close, and she fought to stay nonchalant.

"Okay," Fred looked like he wanted to say something else, but instead released her and stalked back to the group.

In the stands, Severus watched the proceedings. _Faster than I thought_, he thought to himself.

About 2 seconds after she kicked off, Elizabeth wished she had let the twins stay with her. Back and forth, upside-down, twirling around to avoid the Bludger, she flew and dodged.

"Training for the ballet, Evans?" yelled Malfoy. As Elizabeth looked toward his voice, she saw the Snitch, hovering inches above Draco's ear.

For an agonizing moment, she hung in midair, not daring to speed toward Malfoy in case he looked up and saw the Snitch.

WHAM.

She had stayed still a second too long. The Bludger had hit her at last, smashed into her elbow, and she felt her arm break. Dimly, dazed by the searing pain in her arm, she slid sideways, hanging on to her broom with one knee, dodging another Bludger attack.

Through a haze of rain and pain she reached for the Snitch. Malfoy dodged, thinking he was being attacked.

She took her good hand off the broom and made a wild snatch, feeling her fingers close on the Snitch as she fell.

With a splattering thud, she hit the mud and rolled off her broom. Her arm was hanging at a very strange angle; riddled with pain. "We've won," she muttered to no one in particular, and fainted.

When she came around, there was a crowd around her. Fred was kneeling at her side, grumbling something about how falling off her broom was not the worst thing that could happen, and if she ever convinced him to do something so stupid again he was tying her to her broom, and maybe his broom.

"Move aside, everyone," Lockhart appeared above her. "Not to worry, Elizabeth, I'm about to fix your arm."

"No!" she shouted. "I'll keep it like this, thanks…"

"Lie back, sweetheart," Lockhart said soothingly. Elizabeth's stomach lurched.

"Fred, my dad…" She clenched her teeth against the pain.

"He's coming, I saw him leave the stands," Fred said quietly. "We should get you to the hospital wing."

"Great capture, Evans," Wood said from her left. "Really spectacular, your best yet, I'd say—

"Stand back," Lockhart said, rolling up the sleeves of his rob.

"No— don't—

A strange and unpleasant sensation started at her shoulder and spread all the way down to her fingertips. The pain was gone… Elizabeth glanced down at her arm. It appeared that the bones were gone as well.

"What did you do?" Elizabeth heard Severus' voice cutting through her shock at being deboned.

"Ah," Lockhart said uneasily. "Yes. Well, that can sometimes happen. But the point is, the bones are no longer broken. Perhaps she could just—

Severus pushed the other wizard aside and stooped to pick up his daughter.

"I can walk, Dad. It's just my arm—

"Quiet." Severus snapped. Elizabeth laid her head on his shoulder and closed her eyes. There was no point in fighting him at his moment. Plus, her arm felt strange and she was tired from playing.

*S*S*

"You should have come straight to me!" Madam Pomfrey raged. "I can mend bones in a second— but growing them back—

"You will be able to, won't you?" Elizabeth asked from Severus' lap in the hospital wing.

"Of course she will," Severus soothed.

"You'll have to stay the night," Madam Pomfrey said. "Unless you want to take her with you, Professor?"

Snape looked down at his daughter. "Do you want to sleep here or downstairs?"

"Downstairs," Elizabeth said quickly. No way did she want to stay in the hospital wing if she could help it.

"You're in for a rough night," Madam Pomfrey said, pouring a steaming beakerful of Skele-Gro. "Regrowing bones is a nasty business."

Elizabeth choked the mixture down, coughing and sputtering as it burned her throat.

"Brilliant, Evans!" The door of the hospital wing burst open to reveal the Quidditch team. George was grinning, his chin sporting a bruise from trying to wrestle the Bludger back into its box. "I've just seen Marcus Flint yelling at Malfoy. Something about having the Snitch on top of his head and not noticing. Malfoy didn't seem too happy." They were all carrying sweets and pumpkin juice.

"We thought we'd have a bit of a celebration," Oliver said, holding up his bottle.

"Absolutely not," Severus intoned, putting Elizabeth on her feet. "She needs to rest."

"She's got thirty-three bones to regrow!" Pompfrey agreed, shooing everyone out.

"Come," Severus guided Elizabeth into the floo to avoid the party in the corridor. "Let's get you in bed and your bones regrown."

"Did you see me make that grab?" Elizabeth asked as he opened her bedroom door with one hand and spelled her into pajamas with the other.

"I certainly saw you risking your neck over a stupid golden ball," Severus said wasting no time settling her in bed. "This is going to take time," he said softly, tucking her in. "You should get as much sleep as you can right now, because it's going to hurt later." He laid her rubbery arm on top of the bedspread. "What am I going to do with you?"

"I didn't ask Lockhart to disappear my bones," Elizabeth protested.

"Professor Lockhart." Severus frowned. "You are correct. However, if your arm hadn't been broken by your unnecessary risk-taking, we wouldn't be here. In addition to the reckless leap I you took, I got an idea from the scene I saw during the time out that you called off your Weasley protection."

Elizabeth shrugged. "I couldn't see the Snitch with them around me."

"The uglier Weasley seemed to need some convincing," Severus drummed his fingers on the coverlet.

Elizabeth rolled her eyes. "Fred thought the Bludger was after me, he didn't think I could stay away from it on my own. And he's insane."

"He was right about your inability to stay away from the Bludger," Severus nodded, smoothing the hair out of her eyes. "And wanting to keep you from harm does not necessarily make someone insane." He straightened the covers again and kissed her forehead. "Sleep now. I'll have plenty of time to scold when you have an arm again."

"I didn't mean to get hurt, Dad."

"You never do," Severus rolled his eyes. "I'll wake you in a few hours and you can eat something."

"I was brilliant," she said drowsily, sinking into the pillow. "Best catch ever."

Severus shook his head and chuckled softly. "Maybe I'll be able to think about it again in 20 years."

"Twenty years," she mumbled and fell into sleep.


	8. Elves and Firecrackers and Snakes, Oh My

In the middle of the night, Elizabeth woke in the dark with a sharp yelp of pain. Her arm felt like the bones were back, but in large splinters of bone all over. For a moment, she thought that was what woke her, but then she realized there was something sitting on her stomach.

"Get off!" she shrieked. Her eyes adjusted to the dark, then, "Dobby!"

"Elizabeth Evans came back to school," the elf whispered miserably. "Dobby warned and warned Elizabeth Evans. Why didn't you heed Dobby? Why didn't Elizabeth Evans go back home when she missed the train?"

"Dad!" Elizabeth shouted.

Dobby's eyes bulged even more. "No, please! Elizabeth Evans must go home! Professor Snape didn't listen—

"Elizabeth?" Severus, black t-shirt and cotton pants rumpled with sleep, rushed through the door, sizing up the situation immediately.

"INCAREROUS!" Severus shot thin ropes out of his wand that bound the house elf into a heap on the bed.

"How did you know I missed the train?" Elizabeth demanded. Dobby looked at Snape, who was standing in the doorway. "It was you!" Elizabeth realized out loud. "You stopped he barrier from letting us through!"

Dobby nodded vigorously. "Dobby hid and watched for Elizabeth Evans and sealed the gateway and Dobby had to iron his hands afterward, but Dobby didn't care, for he thought Elizabeth Evans was safe, and never did Dobby think Elizabeth Evans would get to school another way! And that Professor Snape would have let her stay!"

Severus crossed the floor and snatched the elf off the bed by the ropes.

"You nearly got me expelled," Elizabeth spat, pushing herself up as far as she could. "You'd better get lost before my bones come back, Dobby, or I might strangle you."

"Lie down, Elizabeth," Severus ordered. "What are you doing here, elf?"

"Elizabeth Evans must go home! Professor Snape must take her home! Dobby thought his Bludger would be enough to make—

"Your Bludger?" Severus shook the elf. "What do you mean, your Bludger?"

"You made that Bludger to try and kill me?" Elizabeth yelled.

"Not kill you! Never kill you!" said Dobby, shocked. "Dobby wants to save Elizabeth Evan's life! Better sent home, grievously injured, than remain here! Dobby only wanted Elizabeth Evans hurt enough to be sent home!"

"You did this?" Severus growled. "She doesn't have bones in her arm, you wretched creature!"

"It didn't occur to you that my Dad lives here?" Elizabeth rolled her eyes. "You think he's going to send me back to Spinner's End alone?" She shook her head. "I don't suppose you're going to tell me why you wanted me sent home in pieces?"

"Ah, if Elizabeth Evans only knew! If she knew what she means to us, to the lowly, the enslaved, we dregs of the magical world! Dobby remembers how it was when He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named was at the height of his powers! We house-elves were treated like vermin! Of course, Dobby is still treated like that," he admitted. "But mostly, life has improved for our kind since you triumphed over He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. Elizabeth Evans survived, and the Dark Lord's power was broken, and it was a new dawn—

"What is the point, elf?" Severus snarled.

"Dobby cannot let Elizabeth Evans stay here now that history is to repeat itself, now that the Chamber of Secrets is open once more—" The elf's face paled. "Bad Dobby! Bad Dobby!"

"So there is a Chamber of Secrets?" Elizabeth asked quietly.

"Lie down, Elizabeth," Severus ordered again, and carried the elf out into the living room, closing the door behind him.

Elizabeth was up in a flash, her ear pressed against the door.

"Stay away from my daughter, elf. And your tell your master to stay away as well."

"But she is in great danger! She must go home!"

"It's him, isn't it? Your master?"

"Dobby can't, sir! Dobby mustn't tell! She must go home!"

"She's not going anywhere. However she has friends that will be first in line for Lucius' sadistic little games."

"Dobby must go!"

"Go. And tell Lucius Malfoy to reconsider just how much of an enemy he wants me to be."

There was a loud crack, and the door opened again, catching Elizabeth off guard. She tried to catch herself as she fell back, but her boneless arm was useless, and she ended up on her back on the floor.

"Didn't I tell you to lay down?" Severus helped her to her feet. "You should keep that arm as still as possible."

"Shouldn't we tell—

"_We_ will not be doing anything. You are a child." He turned her toward the bed.

"Dad—

"Bed, Elizabeth. Now." Severus' voice was calm, but laced with steel. "It's the middle of the night." He ushered her back under the blankets.

"My arm hurts," she said plaintively.

"Pain potion interacts with the Skel-Gro. I can—

Severus was interrupted by a loud knock on the portrait.

"Stay here," he said, getting up to answer it. At the door of her room he turned back. "I mean it, Elizabeth Rose. Stay."

"Yes, sir." Elizabeth stared at the ceiling. She barely heard Albus' soft voice, followed by Minerva saying something, sounding worried. Severus reappeared at her side.

"I have to go out for a few minutes," he said quietly. "Stay here," he bent closer to her. "Please, hatchling. Don't leave this bed."

Was her father pleading? Severus Snape didn't plead. He didn't even ask most of the time. He ordered. He passed judgment. He gave expectations and consequences. He didn't plead.

But he was now. Elizabeth nodded. "Yes, Dad. I promise."

"Alright," Severus brushed his hand over her head and swept out of the room.

*S*S*

"Another attack," Albus said as they rushed down the corridor. "Minerva found him on the stairs."

"There was a bunch of grapes and a card next to him," Minerva said. "We think he was trying to sneak down here to visit Elizabeth. Your daughter seems to have an admirer."

Severus' stomach lurched. "Weasley? He—

"Weasley? No, Colin Creevey," Minerva said. "I thought she and Ronald were just friends—

"Not Ronald," Severus said as they reached the hospital wing, "Fred. Heaven help me."

"I can see them together," Minerva said, ushering them to a bed in the corner.

"Who are you, Sybill?" Severus snapped.

"I'm sorry, darling," Minerva soothed. "I'm just kidding. No boy will ever look at her and she will be single and alone her entire life."

"That doesn't sound wonderful either," Severus muttered, looking down at the boy on the bed. "Petrified?"

"Yes," Minerva pulled the camera out of Colin's grasp. "You don't think he managed to get a picture of his attacker?"

She opened the back of the camera, and a jet of steam hissed out. The air was filled with the smell of burned plastic.

"Melted," Severus said quietly.

"What does this mean, Albus?" Minerva looked at the Headmaster.

"It means," Dumbledore said evenly, "that the Chamber of Secrets is indeed open again."

"But, Albus…surely…who?"

"The question is not who," Severus said firmly. "We know very well who is behind this."

"The question is how," Albus said, looking at Colin's frozen body.

"Elizabeth had another visit from the Malfoy's house elf tonight," Severus looked at Albus.

Minerva looked at her son. "What do you mean, another visit?"

Severus shook his head. "Before we came to school this year, the creature came to visit to tell her to stay at home. Apparently it was the elf that closed the barrier at Kings' Cross, and the elf that cursed the Bludger today."

"Why?" Minerva's brow furrowed.

"It wants her to go home," Severus pressed his lips together. "The little annoyance knows exactly what Malfoy senior is doing."

"That's sweet… in a twisted way," Minerva looked at Albus. "Is it safe for her to be here? For any of them to be here?"

"Elizabeth isn't Muggle born," Albus said waving them out of the hospital wing and down to his office. "And the point of the Chamber and its creature is to purge Muggle-borns from the school."

_Lily_, Severus thought. "But if Malfoy is controlling this thing, wouldn't he send it after her? She's defeated his Lord twice."

"I'm not convinced it's only Lucius," Albus said, popping a lemon drop into his mouth.

"Well of course it's not only him," Severus rolled his eyes. "He's got all those brainwashed nutjobs behind him."

"We have to face that while Lucius is certainly arrogant and without a moral compass, he is most likely not the heir of Slytherin. He may very well only be the "how" of our earlier question."

"Albus, you don't mean—

"Voldemort."

Severus and Minerva flinched.

"Fear of a name—

"Yes, yes, we've heard it," Severus snapped. "But names have power."

"Your daughter says it." Albus popped another lemon drop.

"She also has a life ambition to be able to stand on her broom with one foot," Severus said, shaking his head. "I'm not sure how much of a role model you wish to make her. But back to the original point." Snape cleared his throat. "Is he possessing someone? Lucius is just the idiot who would give his body to a crazed murderer."

"I don't know. If only I still had a spy on the inside," Dumbledore looked pointedly at Snape.

"You cannot possibly feel that I should have kept that up after Elizabeth…" he shook his head. "Lucius is the one who told me she existed anyway, it's not as if I could hide it."

"He wanted to distract you," Albus said thoughtfully. "He could have kept it in his pocket, to discredit you when Voldemort returned, but he didn't. He's threatened by you."

Severus frowned. "I need to get back. I have an incredibly curious child with no self-preservation instinct. I can only hope that she'll stay put for so long." He turned on his heel and left. _Threatened by me_, he thought.

Elizabeth was in her bed when he returned, but still wide-awake.

"I see half my instructions were followed," Severus sat on the bed. "How does your arm feel?"

"Hurts," she said simply. "What's wrong?"

"Wrong?"

Elizabeth just looked at him.

Severus smirked. "An excellent 'teacher look' you have there, my girl." He sighed. "It's late. We'll talk in the morning, but for right now, I've returned, you're safe, and you need to sleep."

"I'm never going to sleep," Elizabeth protested.

"Turn over," Severus ordered, helping her with her semi-rubber arm.

"Why do you do this?" Elizabeth asked sleepily.

"As opposed to knocking you out with a sledge hammer?" Severus smirked as he used his long fingers to massage the back of her head. "I have no idea."

"No, as opposed… I mean…"

Severus watched as the exhaustion of the day finally took over her protests. _No spell in the world is as effective_, he thought fondly.

*S*S*

Sunday morning Elizabeth woke to the full use of her arm, albeit stiff. Stretching, she slipped into her slippers and padded into the living room.

Severus was reading the Daily Prophet and sipping tea. "Good morning, daredevil. Hungry?" She nodded and he summoned an elf to bring food. "Come here and let me look at your arm."

"It's stiff, but it feels okay," Elizabeth sat beside him on the sofa and let him stretch her fingers, wrist, and elbow.

"It looks alright," Severus pronounced. "I'd say you are one good breakfast away from being good as new. Which is more than I can say for Professor Lockhart."

"What did you do?" Elizabeth asked warily as she sat at the table.

"Nothing you should concern yourself with," Severus smirked and poured himself another cup of tea. "Tea or juice?"

"Juice, please," Elizabeth took a bite of eggs. "You didn't do anything to Dobby, did you?"

"Is Dobby the elf?" Severus shook his head. "I think sending him back to the Malfoys is punishment enough. Do you have plans for the day?"

"Am I allowed to have plans?" Elizabeth looked at him over her juice glass.

"I'm not angry with you, hatchling. I understand that there is inherent danger in Quidditch. I don't like it, but I knew the danger when I signed the bloody permission form."

Elizabeth blinked at the rare show of coarse language from her father. Not that she believed that he never swore, but he did it so infrequently in front of her that she could almost imagine that he never did it at all.

Severus sighed. "I should never have signed it, but I did, and I know you enjoy it, so I will do my best not to have a heart attack. However," he cleared his throat. "We need to speak about something else."

"Okay," Elizabeth stopped. "Wait, where's Casper?"

"Your debutante dress of an animal is on my bed, where he has spent all of his nights and most of his days since we arrived."

"Oh. He doesn't really like me very much."

"Cats are solitary creatures, they don't like anyone as a general rule," Severus said, "But we digress from the actual point. There was another attack last night. I believe you know the young man, a Mr. Creevey?"

"He follows me around with a camera," Elizabeth said quietly. "Is he… like Mrs. Norris?"

"He's petrified, if that's what you mean." Severus nodded. "The danger—

"No!" Elizabeth looked at him, wide-eyed.

"What?" Severus looked confused.

"You can't make me leave!" Elizabeth was out of her chair, hands on her hips. Severus would have thought her stance was humorous if he wasn't so startled.

"Can't make you leave the table? You seem to have already done that."

"Hogwarts! You know what I meant!"

"I'm sure you meant to lower your voice," Severus said evenly.

"Don't— Ahh!" Elizabeth threw her hands in the air, and Severus was hit full force with a memory of Lily shouting. She used to get wound up until she couldn't speak, and then end up throwing her hands up just like that.

When Lily was like this, he stayed quiet. Eventually, she would wear herself out fuming and would be able to speak rationally.

The difference was, Lily was a grown woman. Not exactly the same situation as he was currently in.

"Sit." He ordered, pointing at her recently vacated chair.

"No! You said I could come back!"

"And I don't believe that I've gone back on that point," Severus said tightly. "However, this childish display may mean I should investigate some nursery schools."

"I AM a child!" Elizabeth stormed. "I don't care if it's dangerous—

"Elizabeth Snape," Severus' voice was sharp. "If you value seeing the sun ever again, you'll sit down this instant."

"Hmmpf," Elizabeth threw herself into her chair.

"Now, as I was saying before I was interrupted, the danger of the situation has increased. Since there was an attack on a student, we need to take certain precautions." Severus paused to take a drink of tea. "Mr. Creevey was attacked while he was wandering alone in the halls after curfew. Something you have a propensity to do yourself." He raised an eyebrow as if daring her to protest. "From now on, you are to be in your dormitory or in these rooms directly after supper and stay there until the morning."

"Oh." Elizabeth looked down at her plate.

"By 'Oh' I'm sure you mean, 'yes, sir'," Severus said firmly.

"Yeah," Elizabeth didn't take her eyes off her eggs.

"Elizabeth," Severus cleared his throat.

She dragged her eyes up to his. "Yes, sir."

"Good," Severus stood. "Another outburst like that and you won't have a choice between residences for quite a while," he said sternly. "I should take your broom."

"Sorry," Elizabeth bit her lip.

"Hmm." Severus pulled out his wand. "Are you finished eating?"

"Yes, sir."

Severus waved the leftovers and dishes away. "You should dress. I'm sure there is something you need to be doing this morning."

Elizabeth nodded, starting toward her room. At the door, she turned back to see him brushing lint from his teaching robes. "Dad?"

"Yes?" Severus turned his attention to her.

"Why do you do that?"

"Do what?" Severus raised an eyebrow.

"Sometimes… You called me Elizabeth Snape."

Severus sighed. "I'm sorry. I lost focus for a moment."

Elizabeth shook her head, "It's okay, I just wondered. I mean, we've talked about it before I you said you didn't want me to have your name—

"Stop," Severus hung his robes back on the hook and closed the gap between them. "Never, in my life, have I said the words you just attributed to me," he said firmly. "Your mother and I made a decision in a time of war to give you her name to protect you. That doesn't mean that I didn't want you to have mine. You and I have had discussions in which I've told you that it will be your choice when you come of age. Those discussions also do not mean that I don't want you to carry my name. Understood?"

Elizabeth nodded, a bit stunned at the vehemence that was coming from her father.

"In reference to today, I often think of my surname in conjunction with you. Apparently, that was verbalized today, as it has been a few times over the course of this last year, I'm sure." He looked at her intently. "It means nothing except that some part of my brain is exhibiting a Neanderthal need to stake my claim over what is mine." He frowned. "It tends to become more forceful when you are, in some way, acting as if you've forgotten who is the head of this household."

Elizabeth grimaced. "I really am sorry."

Severus snorted. "While I prefer when you exhibit your temper in accordance with your mother's side of your genealogy, I wish you would at least give others a chance to speak before you lose your mind." He gave her the indulgent-exasperated look that he wore so often, and turned her back toward her room. "Get dressed and you can floo to the Tower."

*S*S*

Elizabeth was not at all sure that Hermione had a good plan. Creating a diversion in Potions was not going to be an easy task. But Hermione had insisted that they had to have a bicorn horn and bloomslang skin for the Polyjuice Potion, and the only person who would have it was Snape. She'd leafed through one of her father's ingredient catalogs, thinking they could just buy the ingredients. She had money saved… but there was no way she could justify the purchase to Severus, and ordering rare ingredients would draw attention.

A few weeks before, she wouldn't have considered it. But as fall ended and winter began, Severus was…different. He seemed distracted all the time, and his comments to everyone were more biting than she'd ever heard. Fred commented that Potions class was back to being filled with Snape's sharp tongue.

"He had stopped being so hateful, but the old Snape is back," George agreed one night in the Gryffindor common room.

Elizabeth had never known the "old Snape", but even she knew that her father was not himself. His patience was nonexistent, and he'd been spending more time in the lab with the door closed. He snapped at everything, socks on the floor of her bedroom, her arrival on time to class instead of early. Her writing on the last paper was too large, and she spent too much time playing Quidditch.

The worst had been a week before. She'd left the Great Hall after dinner, but had remembered that her sweater was still at the table halfway to the Tower. When Severus caught her "dawdling" at the Gryffindor table, he'd almost dragged her down the corridor to their quarters, where he gave her a blistering lecture about obedience and following rules outlined for her safety.

No amount of explaining helped her case; in fact it only seemed to enrage him further. 50 lines of "I will take responsibility for my actions" and a weekend confined to her bedroom had produced more irritation than contrite feelings.

And so she found herself in Potions class, one of Fred's Filibuster fireworks in her pocket, ready to create enough of a problem to let Hermione steal.

Severus was walking up and down the rows, barking at everyone. The dark circles under his eyes were more pronounced than usual. When he reached her cauldron, he dipped a stirring stick inside and frowned. "Too much water, Miss Evans. Try actually measuring this time." He vanished the contents and strode off.

Elizabeth shot Hermione a look and the other girl nodded. As Severus was looming over Neville, Elizabeth activated the firecracker and tossed it across the aisle and into Goyle's cauldron.

Goyle's potion exploded, sending Swelling Solution everywhere. Elizabeth hid a grin when Malfoy got hit in the nose with spray. Between Draco's huge nose and Goyle's huge eyes Severus had plenty to keep him occupied as Hermione slipped into his office.

"SILENCE!" Snape roared, pulling vials out of his desk. "Come here, anyone who was affected. The rest of you, sit down and be quiet!"

Elizabeth sat with the unaffected side of the room and watched as the other half, mostly Slytherins, went to Snape to be de-swelled.

When everyone was deflated, Severus swept over to Goyle's cauldron and scooped out the twisted black remains of the firework. There was a sudden hush.

_Those things should really totally disappear, _Elizabeth thought. _I'll have to tell Fred and George._

"If I ever find out who threw this," Severus whispered. "I shall make sure that person is expelled."

Elizabeth tried to look frightened, knowing that Severus could spot her fake "innocent" look a mile away. He looked at her, then away. The bell couldn't come fast enough.

*S*S*

"Snape can't prove it was you," Ron said reassuringly as they watched Hermione throw the new ingredients into the cauldron and stir. "Besides, even if he does, what can he do?"

"Expel me. Ground me forever. Send me back to live with my relatives."

"Okay, maybe." Ron conceded.

"He wouldn't send you back," Hermione shook her head. "And where are you going to live if he expels you?"

Elizabeth's stomach was a knot that wouldn't untangle. "He knows it was me. That's all I'm saying."

*S*S*

"They're starting a Dueling Club!" said Seamus. "First meeting tonight! I wouldn't mind dueling lessons; they might come in handy one of these days…"

"Should we go?" Ron was looking at the Dueling Club flier on the wall.

"Could be useful," Hermione said, examining the information.

So with that consensus, the trio showed up in the Great Hall that evening after dinner. Elizabeth had sent her father a note explaining why she would not be returning to the dorm directly after dinner, and had received no response. So, taking that as permission, Elizabeth stood in the crowd of students.

"I wonder who will be teaching?" Hermione asked as they waited. "Do you think it's your dad? I was reading a dueling book the other day, and he's mentioned."

"As long as it isn't Lockhart, I don't care," Elizabeth mumbled, looking at the golden stage that had been erected at one end of the hall. "Although, I hope it's not Dad." She'd been successfully avoiding him for the past week, between his hermit-like lab time and her "homework", she'd been able to not be around him. It was too hard. He knew she caused that explosion, and she couldn't look at him, in case he was wearing his disappointed expression.

But her worst fears were realized, as Gilderoy Lockhart arrived on the scene, striding onto the stage, accompanied by Severus, his robes swirling more than usual.

Lockhart waved an arm for silence and called, "Gather round, gather round! Can everyone see me? Can everyone hear me?"

"Even if you were down the street," Ron grumbled.

"Excellent!" Lockhart said, as if anyone had answered him. "Let me introduce my assistant, Professor Snape," Lockhart flashed his smile. "He tells me he knows a tiny little bit about dueling himself and has sportingly agreed to help me with a short demonstration before we begin."

"My mum says your dad was a champion dueler when they were in school," Ron whispered. "He went to the championships."

"Remus showed me pictures," Elizabeth nodded. "Like ballet with wands."

"Now, I don't want any of you to worry," Lockhart was saying. "You'll still have your Potions master when I'm through with him, never fear!"

"You think Lockhart would accidentally Obliviate him?" Elizabeth whispered to Ron.

"He accidentally does a lot of things," Ron shrugged. "It's totally possible."

Elizabeth snuck a look at Severus. His upper lip was curling. _Lockhart better run_, Elizabeth thought. Just that look made Elizabeth want to sink through the floor.

The two professors turned to face each other and bowed, Lockhart with more flourish than Severus' jerk of his head. Then they raised their wands like swords.

"As you see, we are holding our wands in the acceptable combative position," Lockhart said. "On the count of three, we will cast our first spells. Neither of us will be aiming to kill, of course."

"I wouldn't bet on that," Elizabeth murmured to Ron, looking at Severus' stormy face.

"One— two— three—

Both adults swung their wands and pointed them at their opponent.

"Expelliarmus!" Severus shouted, and there was a dazzling flash of scarlet light and Lockhart was blasted off his feet. Elizabeth watched as her Defense professor flew backward off the stage, smashed into the wall, and slid down it, sprawling on the floor.

Malfoy and the Slytherins cheered. Hermione looked aghast. Elizabeth was torn between pride in her father and fear at his power. She'd never seen him use magic aggressively like that, even though she knew he could. The worst she'd seen was when he froze or tied up Dobby.

Lockhart was getting up. "Well, there you have it!" He pulled himself back up onto the stage. "That was a Disarming Charm— as you see, I've lost my wand— ah, thank you, Miss Brown— yes, and excellent idea to show them that, Professor Snape, but if you don't mind my saying so, it was very obvious what you were about to do. If I had wanted to stop you, it would have been only too easy— however, I felt it would be instructive to let them see…"

Elizabeth couldn't believe how clueless Lockhart was. How could anyone not see that Severus was looking like he was going to kill someone?

"Enough demonstrating!" Lockhart went on. "I'm going to come amongst you now and put you will into pairs. Professor Snape, if you'd like to help me—

Ron and Hermione moved together, and Elizabeth felt someone grab her hand. Looking up, she saw Fred, grinning down at her. "Where did you come from?" she asked.

"Snuck in the back. I'm a ninja on the weekends."

Severus was moving toward them. "No need to endanger Miss Granger's life with your faulty wand, Mr. Weasley," Snape said to Ron. "You can partner Finnigan. Miss Granger, you can partner Miss Bulstrode," he gestured to a homely looking Slytherin girl. Then he turned to Elizabeth and Fred. "Oh, I don't think so. Mr. Malfoy, come over here. Let's see what you make of Miss Evans. And you, Mr. Weasley, choose someone else if you can get your hormones under control."

Elizabeth's face flamed, but Severus was already striding away.

"I thought your dad kind of liked me," Fred whispered as Malfoy made his way over.

"He's acting nuts," Elizabeth shrugged as Lockhart called out orders.

"Face your partners! And bow!"

Elizabeth barely inclined her head to Draco, and he returned the barely civil gesture.

"Wands at the ready!" shouted Lockhart. "When I count to three, cast your charms to disarm your opponents— only to disarm them— we don't want any accidents— one…two…three—

Elizabeth swung her wand high, but Draco had already started on "two". His spell hit Elizabeth so hard she felt as though he'd been hit over the head with a saucepan. She stumbled, but everything still seemed to be working, and wasting no more time, Elizabeth pointed her wand straight at Malfoy and shouted, "Rictusempra!"

A jet of silver light hit Malfoy in the stomach and he doubled up, wheezing as the tickling charm hit him.

"I said disarm only!" Lockhart shouted in alarm over the heads of the battling crowd.

"Tarantallegra!" Malfoy choked out, spelling Elizabeth's legs into a quickstep.

"Stop! Stop!" screamed Lockhart, but Severus wasn't wasting his words.

"Finite Incantatem!" he shouted. Elizabeth's feet stopped, and Malfoy was suddenly able to breathe again.

Around them, students were lying on the floor. Ron's wand was smoking for some reason, and Hermione and Milicent Bulstrode were lying on top of each other in what was clearly the middle of a fight that didn't involve wands.

"Dear, dear," said Lockhart circulated, giving unwelcome advice to the various injured.

"I think I'd better teach you how to block unfriendly spells," Lockhart looked a bit flustered. "Let's have a volunteer pair— Longbottom and Flinch-Fletchley, how about you—

"A bad idea, Professor Lockhart," Snape said, perusing the crowd. "Longbottom causes devastation with the simplest spells. We'll be sending what's left of the other boy up to the hospital wing in a matchbox."

Elizabeth sent Neville a sympathetic glance. His face was pink.

"How about Malfoy and Evans?"

_Why is he torturing me?_ Elizabeth thought as the crowd moved back to leave her alone in the middle with Draco.

"Excellent idea!" said Lockhart. "Now, Elizabeth," he stepped into the clearing. "When Draco points his wand at you, you do this." He raised his own wand, attempted a complicated sort of wiggling action, and dropped it. Snape smirked as Lockhart quickly picked it up, saying, "Whoops— my wand is a little overexcited."

"Three— two— one— go!" Lockhart shouted.

Malfoy raised his wand and bellowed, "Serpensortia!"

A long black snake shot out of it, fell heavily onto the floor between them, and raised itself, ready to strike.

"Draco!" Severus grabbed Draco by the scruff of his neck.

"Don't worry, Professor, I'll get rid of it," Lockhart shouted. He pointed his wand at the snake, but instead of vanishing it, he succeeded only it sending it up in the air and then smacking back down.

The snake, not at all pleased with this development, raised itself to strike, looking right at Justin Finch-Fletchley.

Looking back, Elizabeth wasn't sure what she was feeling right before she did it. All she knew was that she was walking toward that snake and shouting "Leave him alone!" as if a snake could understand and obey her. Miraculously, the snake seemed to do just that. It slumped to the floor and looked at Elizabeth, who stepped back, suddenly secure in the knowledge that the snake would be harmless.

She looked up at Justin, grinning, expecting to see the boy looking relieved or grateful, but certainly not angry and scared.

"What are you playing at?" he shouted, and before Elizabeth could say anything, Justin had turned and fled from the hall.

Severus stepped forward and vanished the snake, looking at Elizabeth with… what was it? Fear?

"Come on," Fred was behind her. "Move. Come on," Fred, Ron, and Hermione hurried her out the door and down the corridor to the common room.

"You're a Parselmouth," Ron said when they had shoved her into a chair. "Why didn't you tell us?"

"I'm a what?"

"A Parselmouth!" Ron said again. "You can talk to snakes!"

"So? I bet loads of people here can do it."

"Oh, no they can't," said Ron. "It's not a very common gift. This is bad."

"What's bad? What's wrong with everyone?" she looked at Fred, who had been silent since he'd ushered her out of the Great Hall. "Look, if I hadn't told that snake not to attack Justin—

"That's what you said to it?" Ron asked.

"What do you mean? You were there, you heard me!"

"I heard you speaking Parseltongue," Ron said. "Snake language. You would have been saying anything. No wonder Justin panicked."

"I spoke a different language? But— I didn't realize— What does it matter how I did it as long as Justin's okay?"

"It matters," Fred said finally, his voice low. "It matters because being able to talk to snakes was what Salazar Slytherin was famous for. That's why the symbol of Slytherin House is a serpent."

"Exactly," Hermione put in. "And now the whole school's going to think you're his great-great-great-great—

"She gets it, Hermione," Ron cut her off.

"But I'm not!"

"You'll find that hard to prove," Hermione said quietly. "For all we know, you could be. And With your dad being Head of Syltherin House… it doesn't look good."

So that was why Severus was afraid… he was afraid of her. That she was… Elizabeth gulped just thinking about it… the Heir of Slytherin.


	9. Confessions

Severus Snape needed his home lab. He kept the Dark work at Spinner's End, away from Dumbledore. He could go home for the weekend; Elizabeth would be safe as long as she stayed in the Tower; and figure out what he was going to do.

Severus leaned with one hand against the floo, closing his eyes. Everything was coming down around him. The school, Merlin only knew what was going on; Elizabeth was hearing voices; house elves Bludgering his daughter; Elizabeth… speaking to snakes and causing havoc in class.

"Lily," he said aloud. "The parenting manual didn't cover this." He missed her so much it felt like he would never be happy again, the confusion of recent events bringing the pain of her absence back full force. He wanted desperately to talk with her. Not her portrait, not that little piece of her soul trapped in a frame in his room, but with her. And touch her and smell her… but more than anything, talk to her. As if being in her presence and hearing her voice would give him some wisdom he didn't have.

*S*S*

Elizabeth woke the next morning to a snow covered castle and a cancelled Herbology lesson. Grateful that she would not have to face Justin, or anyone for that matter, she rolled over, planning on going back to sleep when a green envelope appeared on her bedside table. She recognized her father's handwriting, and pulled the parchment out of the envelope with apprehension.

_I'm going to Spinner's End for the weekend. Stay in the Tower as much as possible._

No signature. Not that she wondered who had sent the letter.

Why was he going home? Elizabeth stared at the note as if it would tell her more if she dissected it with her eyes. It was strange that he was leaving her, during a time when he was so crazy about her safety.

Unless he thought she was causing the danger. Was she causing the danger? Maybe she was the Heir, and just her presence opened the Chamber. Had she hurt Colin? And Mrs. Norris?

There was a thump near the window. Elizabeth looked up to find Fred, having just jumped through the window.

"What—

"Shh," Fred looked at her sleeping dorm mates, and motioned for her to move over. Once he was on the bed, he pulled the curtains and cast a silencing spell.

"Fred! You can't be in here! How did you get in here?"

"Window," Fred said, as if that was an explanation. "I just…" He looked at her. "Are you okay?"

Elizabeth shrugged. "I'm really glad class is cancelled."

"Yeah, me too." Fred moved to sit against the headboard. "Listen, I didn't want you to think that when I said your… thing… was bad that I meant I thought you were bad or evil or whatever. I don't. I was just surprised, and I didn't know what to do."

"Yeah," Elizabeth said quietly. "But I could be… bad and evil. We don't know."

"I know," Fred said firmly. "You are a Gryffindor. The hat doesn't assign evil people to Gryffindor."

Elizabeth bit her lip. "It wanted me to be in Slytherin," she said quietly.

"So? That's not where you ended up," Fred shook his head. "If you had evil in you, it wouldn't have put you here."

"Maybe," Elizabeth looked at her hands.

"Not maybe," Fred put his arm around her. "What's that?" he gestured to the note.

"My dad's going home for the weekend." Elizabeth said quietly. "Probably to get away from me."

"Probably not," Fred said lightly. "However, the fact that he is not in the castle makes me feel a little better about being in your bedroom."

"In my bedroom? You're in my bed," Elizabeth shook her head. "You must have a death wish of some kind."

"You should talk to him."

"Who? My dad?"

"Of course your dad. He's not trying to get away from you. Ask him."

"He's at home," Elizabeth shrugged.

"So go."

Elizabeth raised her eyebrows. "Oh yeah, let me jump in the floo right now. Oh wait, it doesn't work."

"Oh come on. You're more creative than that," Fred grinned. "Gotta go before your roommates wake up and I'm stuck here forever." He winked and disappeared out of the curtains and out the window.

Elizabeth lay back. Yes, she was more creative than that. The question is, did she really want to talk to Severus?

*S*S*

Half an hour later, she stood outside Minerva's office, suitcase in hand, trying to channel her Slytherin side. Taking a deep breath, she knocked and opened the portrait. "Grandma? I'm ready!"

Minerva looked up from the book she had open on the desk. "Ready for what?"

Elizabeth let her face fall. "Dad forgot, didn't he?' She bit her lip. "He promised he'd remember to tell you!"

"Remember to tell me what, kitten?" Minerva stood and moved around the desk, her wine colored robes open in the front.

"Dad said I could go with him this weekend, to study in quiet, but I had Herbology this morning, so I was going to wait, but it was canceled." Elizabeth frowned. "He said I should just come here when I was done and he'd let you know to let me use your floo. But he forgot. He forgets all the time now."

"Elizabeth, I'm sure—

Elizabeth let her eyes tear. "I just don't want to be here, everyone's looking at me, and I just wanted to go home…"

"Alright, honey, it's okay," Minerva ushered her to the floo. "It's alright, we'll send you home. Do you want me to go with you?"

Elizabeth shook her head. "It's okay. Can I tell him you're really mad?" She smiled a little.

"You do that," Minerva said, hugging her granddaughter. "I'll give him a piece of my mind next time I see him."

_That could be problematic_, Elizabeth thought. But there wasn't time to try to patch that up, she had to get to Spinner's End before Minerva realized that the story was ridiculous.

"Snape's House, Spinner's End!" She called clearly and felt herself being sucked with her bag through the floo.

*S*S*

"Dad?" Elizabeth dropped her bag in the living room and went deeper into the house. The light was on in the lab, and so she went down the stairs.

Severus was standing over a cauldron, stirring something with one hand, while holding his wand with the other and muttering something Elizabeth didn't understand. "Dad?"

"Elizabeth! Get out!" Severus snapped.

"Dad, I just—

"Now!"

Elizabeth turned and ran back up the stairs.

Severus looked down at his ruined potion and cursed under his breath. Vanishing the cauldron contents he followed his daughter up the stairs where he found her, hand in the floo powder.

"Where are you going, young lady?"

"Back to school," Elizabeth shrugged. "I'm sorry I came."

Severus sighed. "Come here, Elizabeth."

"I'm going, I promise, I won't—

"Elizabeth Rose, that was not a request." Severus beckoned with one long finger.

Elizabeth put the powder box down and crossed the living room, almost tripping on her overnight bag, which she'd left in the middle of the floor.

Severus looked down at her. "You know better than to come down to the lab without asking, Elizabeth."

"Yes, sir."

"However, when I said to leave, I meant the lab, not the house."

"Yes, sir."

"I thought I told you to stay in the Tower," Severus raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah…" Elizabeth looked at her shoes. "I just… I mean…"

"Spit it out, Elizabeth."

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have come. I just… I didn't mean to talk to the snake. I didn't know I could, I mean I thought I was just talking…"

"Elizabeth," Severus pulled her against him. "It's alright."

Elizabeth burrowed into his shirt. "You're mad at me."

"Hmm?" Severus questioned noncommittally.

"You've been mean to everyone, and you yell for no reason, and last night… you think I'm evil."

"Merlin help me," Severus sighed. "I'm not angry about the snake, Elizabeth. I'm frightened out of my wits, but I'm not angry. I can't figure out how to protect you from this, and then I hear you speaking Parseltongue… my worst nightmare is that HE has some connection to you. Any connection that could make it easier…" Severus rubbed his hand over his face. "I'm terrified, Elizabeth."

"But even before that," Elizabeth said softly. "You're mad."

Severus raised an eyebrow. "Anger is a useless emotion, Elizabeth."

The guilt that had eaten away at her stomach since that day in Potions threatened to devour her alive. "You know!" She channeled her guilt into irritation.

"Know what?" Severus asked evenly.

"You know I did it! Why aren't you yelling at me?" Elizabeth glared up at him.

"Did what?"

"Argg!" Elizabeth pulled away from him and threw herself on the sofa. "You know I threw the firework! You've known ever since it happened!"

"Hmm." Severus crossed his arms. "What would you have me do with that information?"

Elizabeth, her anger fading fast, stared at the carpet. "I dunno."

"Really?" Severus tapped his finger against his elbow. "I believe that I made the consequences for that act clear in class that day."

Tears of frustration and guilt clouded her vision. There was a roaring in her ears that blocked everything out for a moment. When her hearing returned, her father's voice was back.

"Do you wish to be expelled, Elizabeth?"

"No, sir."

Severus nodded once. "I didn't think that was the case. If expulsion wasn't your goal, what was it?"

Elizabeth bit her lip. "I can't tell you."

"I'm afraid you don't have a choice, Elizabeth Rose." Severus frowned. "You brought up the discussion, I have to believe because you were hoping to alleviate the guilt I hope you feel in connection to your behavior." He paced the room slowly, deliberately. "While you sit there and determine what your explanation will be, I will tell you that I was and am not angry." He paused in his pacing to look at her. "I am disappointed in your behavior, confused as to why you would do something like that, and, I must admit, hurt that you chose to act that way in my classroom when you know how dangerous it was and that it would disrupt my work."

Elizabeth's tears were fully flowing now.

"I tell you this, Elizabeth, because there is no explanation that will erase the disappointment and distrust; therefore, you might as well tell me the truth."

Elizabeth couldn't get air to her lungs, her breath coming in hitches and gasps. Severus crossed the room in two strides and sat on the coffee table in front of her. "Breathe, Elizabeth." He pushed her up from how she'd been leaning forward. "Listen to me, young lady." He waited until she was a little calmer. "While nothing you can say right now is going to make me pleased with you, remember that you are my daughter no matter what, and so your explanation will not in any way impact the fact that I love you more than anyone or anything in the world." It was more of an outpouring than he usually allowed himself, but his nerves were frayed from lack of sleep and constant adrenaline, and he'd lost his ability to control every emotional impulse.

"It was a distraction," Elizabeth whispered. "We needed something from the storeroom."

"So you endangered the lives of everyone in that room so that you could steal from me?"

Elizabeth winced at the truth of those words. "I didn't want to."

"But you did," Severus said quietly. "What did you need that you couldn't just ask for?"

Elizabeth wished that she were back in bed. "Bicorn horn and bloomslang skin."

Severus was quiet for a moment. "What are you and your idiotic friends brewing?"

She wished she were back in bed a few weeks before. "Polyjuice Potion."

Severus' face was white, his jaw line hard. "Go to your room."

"Dad, I'm sorry—

The look he gave her would have reduced Voldemort to dust. "Now!"

She jumped up and ran up the stairs where she closed the door softly and sat on her bed. She didn't feel better. Confession was supposed to make you feel better.

Severus dropped his head into his hands briefly before standing, murmuring a minding charm on the stairs, and stepping into the floo.

***S*S***

"Granger and Weasley," Severus said tightly when he arrived in Minerva's office.

"Severus?" McGonagall looked up from her book. "How could you not—

"Your students are brewing Polyjuice Potion," Severus said sharply.

"What?" Minerva stood. "What are you talking about?"

"Granger, Weasley, and my soon-to-be-grounded-for-the-rest-of-her-life daughter have been brewing Polyjuice Potion."

"Why?"

"What does it matter?" Severus snapped. "The question is where? And how many people have they poisoned in the process?"

***S*S***

A quick interrogation left Ron white and shaking; Hermione beside herself with the threat of expulsion ringing in her ears.

Severus removed the cauldron from Myrtle's bathroom with the care of a HazMat team.

"Granger says that they were going to break into the Slytherin common room," Minerva said quietly as he inspected the potion in his lab.

"I'm not sure which is more terrifying," Severus said. "That they were planning to drink a potion made by a second year without supervision, or that they were able to brew it without our knowledge."

"I will write to their parents tonight," Minerva said. "I trust you'll handle Elizabeth?"

Severus nodded, "I will indeed. I trust you will devise something heinous for the other two?"

"I will indeed," Minerva echoed. "Go home, Severus. Take care of your daughter." She laid her hand on his shoulder. "Remember she came to you, Sev."

"She lied, stole, and Merlin only knows what else, Mother."

"She's nearly 13," Minerva said gently. "She's confused and afraid, and she did something incredibly stupid. But it's your job to teach her, Severus." She kissed his cheek and disappeared up the stairs, leaving him looking at the cauldron. Frowning, he lit a fire under a nearby stand and set the cauldron on it. _Just out of curiosity_, he thought before heading up the stairs to floo home.

***S*S***

"May I come in?" Severus opened the door of Elizabeth's bedroom.

She was sitting on the bed in exactly the same spot she'd assumed nearly two hours before. She looked at him and nodded, not sure.

Severus came in, leaving the door open, and stood in the middle of the room. "Elizabeth, do you know what the side effects of Polyjuice Potion are?"

"No, sir."

"Do you know the variety of ways the brewing can go wrong, or how many different poisons can be made from the same ingredients if brewed differently?"

"No, sir."

Severus sat on her desk chair. "I assume that this endeavor was Chamber related?"

"Yes, sir."

"You were going to the Slytherin common room to spy on Draco?"

"Yes, sir." The truth spilled from her mouth, fatigue and guilt eroding her filter.

"How did you get here today?"

"Grandma's floo."

"And where was your grandmother?"

"She was there."

"What did you tell her?"

"That you knew I was coming and that you must have forgotten to tell her."

"And she believed that?" Severus shook his head. "I forget nothing."

"Dad…" Elizabeth looked at him beseechingly. "I'm so sorry. I'll never do anything I shouldn't ever again. I promise. You can ground me forever and take away my broom and keep me locked in the dungeons. I swear I'll do everything you tell me—

"I can assure you that I will be doing a combination of those things," Severus said quietly. "I can't even find the words to express just how stupid this plan was. Dangerous. Felonious. Not to mention that I expressly forbid you to become involved with this nonsense."

"I'm sorry," Elizabeth whispered. "But it's…"

"What, Elizabeth?"

"It's hurting people, Dad."

Severus closed his eyes briefly. "I know." He looked steadily at her. "Can you understand how worried that fact makes me?"

"Yes, sir."

Severus took a deep breath. "The amount of times you had to lie to pull this off is astounding, Elizabeth Rose. You lied, you stole, you caused a potions disaster, and then you lied to cover up the stealing."

"I know."

"How can I ever believe anything you say?"

"You can't," Elizabeth bit her lip.

Severus sighed. "You cannot lie to me. You cannot hide things from me. If you want to shave your head, fine. If you want to eat 30 chocolate frogs on the train, fine. But you do not lie about the things that matter. And you know what those are, don't you?"

"Yes, sir."

Severus cleared his throat. "You will apologize to your grandmother for lying to her and accept whatever punishment she hands down as your Head of House."

"Yes, sir."

"Consider yourself on probation," Severus said sternly. "You will spend every moment you are not in class or at meals in our quarters or my office. You will do nothing but study unless you are given permission to do otherwise. There will be no Quidditch." Severus looked at the contrite child on the bed. "You will spend every evening after dinner in detention with me until 9, when you will go to bed. Your allowance is mine until you've paid for the ingredients that you stole, and you will write an essay of no less than six feet about Polyjuice Potion, its brewing, effects, and dangers. Do you have any questions?"

"No, sir."

"I'm sure I don't have to tell you that any toe out of line will not be tolerated."

"No, sir. I mean, yes, sir."

Severus gave a tiny smile, then sobered again. "Elizabeth, did you have even a moment of hesitation before you threw that firecracker?"

"Yes, sir." Elizabeth nodded. "I told Hermione no at first."

"What changed your mind?"

"Ever since the Bludger, you've been mean. In class, in the halls." Elizabeth said timidly.

"I'm always mean in class."

"Not to me," Elizabeth said softly.

Severus was silent for a moment. "Elizabeth, you talk to Fred Weasley frequently, correct?"

"Yes…" After the dueling partner- debacle, she wasn't sure if she should admit to talking to Fred.

"Then you know that any amount of 'nice' or 'soft' or 'friendly' was unheard of until about 18 months ago."

"Fred doesn't talk bad about you. George says you were a git."

Severus snorted. "I had many years of 'git' training, and some habits are difficult to break. I lost myself in dealing with this Chamber nonsense, and I'm sorry."

"Fred thinks you don't like him."

"I don't like him." Severus said seriously. "He has teenage-boy eyes for my daughter."

"Dad…"

"It doesn't matter. By the time you are old enough to date, he'll have graduated. In fact, I'm planning on asking him tomorrow if he'd like to graduate early."

"Dad!"

Severus smirked. "In addition, since you are grounded for the rest of your life, your dating chances will be slim."

"I really am sorry, Dad. It was stupid."

"Yes it was." Severus agreed. He sighed and held out a hand. "Come here, Elizabeth."

She crossed the room cautiously, a little surprised when she was pulled into a bone-crushing hug. "You have to stop taking years off my life, hatchling. I don't know how much more death defying acts I can take."

"It won't happen again. I promise," she mumbled into his robes.

"I certainly hope so," Severus said, wishing desperately that he could believe that it was true.

*S*S*

"Did my dad tell you?" Elizabeth asked Remus when he arrived the next day. Severus had gone to London, leaving Remus with strict instructions for the prisoner.

"Tell me what?" Remus sat on the sofa, knowing very well what she was talking about. Molly Weasley was quite the informant.

Elizabeth flopped down next to him. "I'm a Parseltongue."

"Parselmouth," Remus corrected.

"What?"

"Parseltongue is the language, the people that speak it are Parselmouths."

"Okay," Elizabeth shrugged. "I can talk to snakes."

"Hmm."

"Hmm?" Elizabeth looked at him. "That's your reaction?"

"Is there more?"

"No."

"You aren't organizing the snakes to take over the world?"

"No."

"You aren't using Parseltongue to charm snakes into killing Muggleborns?"

Elizabeth gave him a scandalized look, and Remus smirked.

"You aren't thinking about transferring to Slytherin, are you? I can forgive a lot of things, sweetheart—

"Remus!"

Remus sighed. "Elizabeth, being a Parselmouth is a rare gift with a bad connotation. But there is nothing inherently evil about it."

"Hermione and Ron say it's bad."

"You should most definitely take the word of two second years over that of your exceedingly bright godfather."

Elizabeth shrugged. "Dad's scared. I don't think I've ever seen him scared."

"I have." Remus put his arm around her shoulders. "When you were born, he alternated between being happier than I've ever seen him, and terrified."

"Why?"

"Because he thought you might be a Gryffindor," Remus joked.

"Really," Elizabeth elbowed him in the side.

"Your dad likes order. He likes to know what is going to happen. It's why he's a brilliant Potions Master. But you, Miss Troublemaker, are exceedingly unpredictable, and he knew that it would be that way."

Elizabeth smirked, but fell quiet.

"What?" Remus raised an eyebrow.

"I'm grounded."

"Double plus grounded, I would say, as you should be," Remus agreed.

"But Christmas is coming up, and I need to get something for Dad."

"Looks like you'll be making him something."

"Or I could give you money and you could go get something for me." Elizabeth looked pleadingly at him.

"I thought part of your incarceration was no pocket money."

Elizabeth shrugged. "He stopped my allowance. But I have money."

"Been robbing banks, have you?"

Elizabeth rolled her eyes. "I've hardly spent any of the money he's given me."

"So," Remus said slowly, "You're telling me that you have 10 Sickles a week for the last year and a half stored up somewhere?"

"In my sock drawer."

"You have…" Remus calculated in his head. "More than 40 Galleons in your sock drawer?"

"In Sickles, but yeah." Elizabeth shrugged.

Remus chuckled. "So your father withholding allowance… that is basically nothing to you."

She shrugged again. "He buys me everything I need, and half the stuff I want."

"Alright, so you need me to Christmas shop for you. Do you have ideas?"

"Bicorn horn and bloomslang skin."

"What you stole from his stores?"

"Yeah." Elizabeth looked down at her feet. "And the other day, Dad saw an advertisement in the paper for a Potions journal that alphabetizes potions you write in it and then lets you search by ingredient. He says it's a ridiculous item that 'encourages laziness and lack of focus'," she imitated Severus. "Which means he really, really wants one."

Remus laughed. "Alright. But that lot is going to just about clean you out."

"That's okay," Elizabeth said affably.

*S*S*

The days leading to Christmas were uneventful. There wasn't much time for events, with all the cauldron scrubbing, homework, and sitting Elizabeth was doing.

They were in Severus' office, Snape at his desk, Elizabeth on one of the chairs facing him, working on the other edge. She was a foot into her Polyjuice essay, when there was a knock on the door.

"Enter." Severus ordered and the portrait swung open to reveal Hermione.

"You wanted to see me, sir?"

"Yes, Miss Granger. Come in." Severus looked at Elizabeth. "Go study in your room."

"Yes, sir." Elizabeth had been doing her best not to question orders for a while. No need to irritate him further.

When the door closed, Severus turned his attention to the other child. "Sit down, Miss Granger."

Hermione obeyed, sitting in the chair Elizabeth had just vacated.

Severus reached into his desk and drew out a vial filled with what looked like mud. "Do you know what this is, Miss Granger?"

Hermione bit her lip. "Yes, sir."

"Well?" Severus tapped his fingers impatiently against the desk.

"It's Polyjuice Potion, sir."

"And how do you know that, Miss Granger?"

"It has a distinctive color and viscosity, sir."

"And what gives it that color?"

"The bloomslang skin," she whispered. "Sir."

"And the thickness?"

"The bicorn horn, sir."

Severus was quiet for a moment. "Miss Granger, never in my years of teaching have a seen a student with the flagrant disregard for rules and morality you exhibited in creating this potion."

"Yes, sir." Hermione dropped her eyes to her hands in her lap, then jerked them back up. "That's my potion? But sir, I thought, I mean… Professor McGonagall said you destroyed it."

"Miss Granger, have I ever destroyed your work in class?"

"No, sir."

"No. Because I do not destroy good work." He held the vial up. "This, Miss Granger, while the result of an ill-conceived plan, is good work."

"Thank you, sir."

"Don't thank me yet, Miss Granger. I've asked Professor McGonagall to give supervision of your detention to me." He noted that the girl's face didn't change with that news. "You will report here, promptly at 7 o'clock, on Monday and Wednesday evenings for the rest of the school year. You will serve the rest of your time with Filch as you were previously assigned."

"Yes, sir." Hermione said quietly. "Can I ask… what am I going to be doing?"

"You are going to be here Monday at 7 o'clock," Severus said simply. "You're dismissed."

"Yes, sir." Hermione stood. "Thank you, sir."

Severus watched her go before tucking the vial back into his desk.


	10. Diary Drama

Christmas morning, Severus woke at five and made breakfast. Remus arrived a half hour later. Then they waited. Six o'clock came and went. The clock struck seven. They had eaten everything Severus had cooked and played five games of chess by eight.

"I thought you explained to her that she was supposed to be up annoyingly early on Christmas morning after last year." Remus' knight flattened Severus' rook.

"I did. And she went to bed at 9 last night, so it's not as if she stayed up late."

"How long is she grounded?"

"Until the end of time," Severus sent his knight to battle.

"Seriously, Sev."

"Seriously? I don't know. Every day I wish that I didn't have to be a prison guard, but then I remember that cauldron exploding, and how she was going to drink that potion."

"You said that potion was perfect."

"It was," Severus sacrificed a pawn. "That isn't the point."

"Minerva said you have Hermione working for you twice a week."

"She's doing my grunt work."

"You're training her."

Severus moved his bishop. "I'm sure I don't know what you're talking about."

"What was it that you were brewing under your bed third year?"

Severus scowled and didn't answer.

"Slughorn caught you and gave you every night detention. In his private lab. Where you started out doing grunt work, if I recall correctly."

"I didn't give her detention with me every evening."

"Because you have a child. But you saw the next Potions Master, didn't you? Or Mistress, I guess."

"She's a Gryffindor."

"Oh, I forgot, only snakes can be good at Potions."

"I'm going to wake Elizabeth."

"Okay," Remus smirked, dropping the subject.

Severus went upstairs and knocked on the door. "Elizabeth?"

"Yes, sir?" Severus heard her voice, not at all heavy with sleep, and went in to find her sitting up on her made bed, fully dressed.

"What are you doing up here?" Severus asked incredulously.

"I don't think I should come down."

Severus sighed, "Are we going to do this for every family holiday? It's just Remus, anyway."

"I stole from you." Elizabeth stared at her hands.

"Yes," Severus said simply, crossing his arms.

"I shouldn't have."

"No."

"I don't deserve Christmas."

"You certainly do not," Severus agreed. "However, I've often been told that I am forgiving and exceedingly benevolent." He crouched in front of her. "Elizabeth, you made a mistake. A terrible mistake, but it was a mistake. Even purgatory ends sometime."

Elizabeth shrugged, and Severus sighed.

"You really are my daughter, aren't you?" He shook his head, then picked her up under her arms and set her on the floor. "If it makes you feel better, I'll hang you by your toes in the dungeons tomorrow, but today is Christmas." He smoothed her hair, then propelled her out the door and down the stairs with a hand on her back.

"Hey sleepyhead," Remus greeted. "Your presents are lonely." He gestured to the tree.

***S***S*

After Elizabeth opened her gifts, she curled up next to Severus while he opened his. He left his left arm circled around her while he carefully unwrapped the bundle with Elizabeth's handwriting on it.

"Oh Elizabeth," Severus pulled out the bicorn horn and boomslang skin. "Foolish monster," he tightened his arm around her and kissed the top of her head.

"I'm sorry, Dad."

"I know." He rocked her a little. He pulled out the journal. "Encouraging me to be lazy, are you?" He quirked an eyebrow at her and she grinned. "Thank you, hatchling."

"You're welcome."

Severus smoothed her hair. "I could use a cup of tea, Elizabeth, could you put the kettle on?"

"Sure," Elizabeth jumped up. "But where's Francy?"

"I gave her the holidays off," Severus said. "Just watch the kettle."

"Yes, sir." Elizabeth disappeared into the kitchen.

"Remus Lupin, you shouldn't have funded this," Severus held up the ingredients and journal.

"I didn't," Remus shrugged. "I did the leg work, because you had her locked in the tower waiting for the prince, but it was her money."

"My daughter is a bank robber," Severus blew air out of his nose. "Did you check and make sure the gold was real?"

Remus laughed. "It wasn't gold, Sev. It was Sickles. Every Sickle you ever gave her, hidden in her sock drawer." He made a pretty good imitation of Snape's smirk. "Your daughter is not a felon, Snape. She's a hoarder."

"Merlin, help me." Severus rubbed his hand over his face.

"Dad?" Elizabeth's voice from the kitchen interrupted his prayers. He got up and went into the other room where she was standing over the tea selection. "Hi. I just wanted to know what you wanted."

"Ladies don't shout from other rooms," Severus scolded lightly, taking the tea box. "We'll bring it all out, and the kettle. And you should eat breakfast."

"Dad?"

Severus looked at his daughter's serious face and put the tea back on the counter. "Yes?"

"I can't promise not to fight when my family and friends are in trouble."

Severus nodded once. "Perhaps," he said carefully, "it was unreasonable of me to expect it." He leaned against the counter. "But the lying and stealing has to stop." He regarded her sternly. "You have been saddled with an incredible burden, and I'm sorry I can't lift it." The kettle whistled and they both ignored it. "I had hoped that I could protect you from it, at least for a little while longer." He grimaced. "Damn Gryffindor blood."

"No more lying," Elizabeth said quietly. "You have to blame Mum for the other thing."

"She's forgiven me for worse things," Severus said, moving the kettle off the burner before holding her by the shoulders. "Let me make something clear." He locked eyes with her. "I am your father. My first priority is your safety and happiness. And while I am willing to concede that there is a certain amount of danger in your life, I'm not willing to change my mind on my protection of you."

"Okay."

"You will inform me of your activities. You will obey me when I tell you to do or not to do something. And you will remember that you are not alone in this battle."

"Yes, sir."

"I love you, Elizabeth, and while the Light might benefit from me reverting to my ruthless past and throwing you to the wolves, I cannot do that. Do you understand?"

"It's going to be alright," Elizabeth said, putting her arms around his waist.

"I wish I could believe that, my little optimist."

***S***S*

"What do you know about Hogwarts 50 years ago?" School was back in session, and Elizabeth was sitting in Severus' office, serving her now thrice-weekly detention.

"How old do you think I am?" Severus raised an eyebrow.

"I didn't say you were _here_ 50 years ago," Elizabeth shook her head.

"Why do you ask?"

"I found this," Elizabeth pulled a leather journal from her bag. "It was in the girls' toilet."

"And you thought you'd just toss it in your bag?" Severus grimaced.

"There's nothing inside, just a name. 'T.M. Riddle'," she continued as if he hadn't spoken. "According to my research, Riddle got a special award from the school 50 years ago. Which, coincidentally, is the time when the Chamber was opened last."

"Riddle?" Severus narrowed his eyes. "Let me see."

"Do you know him?" Elizabeth handed over the diary.

"Not exactly," Severus said quietly, looking over the book.

"Hermione tried to reveal the ink, but there's nothing." Elizabeth offered.

"I need to speak to your grandfather," Severus stood, diary still in his hand. "Stay here, I'll return in a little while."

"I can't come?"

"Elizabeth—

"Dad." Elizabeth frowned. "I thought you were going to include me in this stuff."

Severus pressed his lips together. He had no desire to go deeper into this with his twelve year old in tow. However, he had less of a desire for her to go underground with her investigation, which he knew very well would happen if he didn't reward this confidence she'd shown in telling him about the diary.

"You may come along. However," he looked down at her. "You will remember that any information obtained in this meeting should be used to make a decision with my supervision, understand?"

"Yes, sir."

"Alright then," Severus pointed to the door. "After you. The new password, I believe, is 'malted milk balls'. Is there such a thing?"

Elizabeth rolled her eyes. "How do you not know malted milk balls? You grew up Muggle!"

"I most certainly did not," Severus sniffed. "I'm a half blood."

"You know what I mean," Elizabeth hovered close to his side as they walked.

"We didn't have money for such things," Severus said quietly, slowing his pace a bit to let her keep up.

"Sorry," Elizabeth flushed a little. She hadn't wanted to embarrass him.

"No need to apologize, hatchling. It's not a point of pity," he said gently, putting his hand on her shoulder. "Once your grandfather was in my life, I was too much of a teenager to listen to his candy ramblings."

"Dad?"

"Yes?" Severus could sense trouble.

"Is your dad still alive? I mean your real one?"

Severus was quiet for a moment. "I don't know," he said honestly.

"You never looked?"

"Sometimes it's better not to know," Severus said quietly before he murmured the password so they could enter Dumbledore's office.

"Severus," Albus nodded at his son. "Elizabeth. To what do I owe this visit?"

Severus dropped the diary on Dumbledore's desk. "Elizabeth found this in the girls' lavatory."

"Riddle?" Dumbledore asked quietly, looking at the diary.

"It's blank," Elizabeth put in, moving unconsciously toward Severus as Albus frowned at the diary. "We checked for invisible ink, but there isn't any."

"Aren't you clever?" Dumbledore said. "Have you tried writing in it?"

Severus sucked in breath and held it until Elizabeth shook her head.

"Well then," Albus held out a quill. "Let's see, shall we?"

"Absolutely not!" Severus snatched his daughter's wrist as she reached for the quill. "That thing reeks of Dark magic. She shouldn't be anywhere near it!"

"Severus, we don't know that it isn't anything other than a diary," Albus said calmly.

"Then you do it!"

Albus raised his eyebrows slightly at his son's petulant tone. _Go ahead, Severus, stop her from doing this. She'll belong to me if you keep her out, and you know it._

"Well, I suppose—

"No!" Elizabeth glared at her father. "I didn't have to bring this to you, Dad, but I did."

"Elizabeth Snape, are you blackmailing me?"

Elizabeth met his gaze without responding.

Albus watched the proceedings, wondering if either Severus or Elizabeth had mind control powers he didn't know about. They seemed to be talking, his dark eyes and her green ones locked in a battle of some kind.

Then Severus crooked his finger and Elizabeth crossed the few steps that separated them. She leaned her forehead against his waistcoat.

"Thank you, Dad."

Severus stroked her hair for a moment, then turned his glare on Albus. "I blame you for this, old man. Pinning this nonsense on her."

"Whatever you need to believe, Severus." Albus said serenely. "But this journal is 50 years old, when Riddle was roughly your daughter's age. It may do us well to think as a child."

Severus shook his head and turned his attention to Elizabeth. "Use the common sense I know you have," he said quietly. "If you feel something is wrong, stop immediately."

"Don't worry, Dad."

Severus shook his head again, but released her to pick up the quill. Sitting in the chair in front of Albus' desk, she raised the quill and dropped a drop of ink on the first page. The ink was visible for a moment and then disappeared, as if it were being sucked into the page.

Loading her quill again, she wrote, "My name is Elizabeth Evans." These words disappeared as well, then, oozing back out of the page, different words came back.

"Hello, Elizabeth Evans. My name is Tom Riddle. How did you come by my diary?"

These words faded, and Elizabeth felt her father's hand on her shoulder.

"Someone tried to flush it down a toilet," she wrote back.

"Lucky that I recorded my memories in some more lasting way than ink. But I always knew that there would be those who would not want this diary read."

"Like me," Severus muttered.

"What do you mean?" Elizabeth scrawled quickly.

"I mean this diary holds memories of terrible things. Things that were covered up. Things that happened at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry."

"Things you did, no doubt," Severus said softly, both hands on her shoulders now.

"Me?" Elizabeth looked at him.

"Not you, him." Severus gestured to the diary with his head.

"I'm at Hogwarts," Elizabeth wrote back. "Horrible stuff's been happening. Do you know anything about the Chamber of Secrets?"

"Of course I know about the Chamber of Secrets. In my day, they told us it was a legend, that it did not exist. But this was a lie. In my fifth year, the Chamber was opened and the monster attacked several students, finally killing one. I caught the person who'd opened the Chamber and he was expelled. But the headmaster, Professor Dippet, ashamed that such a thing had happened at Hogwarts, forbade me to tell the truth. A story was given out that the girl had died in a freak accident. They gave me a nice, shiny, engraved trophy for my trouble and warned me to keep my mouth shut. But I knew it could happen again. The monster lived on, and the one who had the power to release it was not imprisoned."

"It's happening again now. There have been three attacks and no one seems to know who's behind them. Who was it last time?"

Albus pressed his lips together.

"I can show you, if you like," came Riddle's reply. "You don't have to take my word for it. I can take you inside my memory of the night when I caught him."

"No, you cannot." Severus hissed from over her shoulder.

But Elizabeth had already responded. "OK".

The pages of the diary began to blow as though caught in a high wind, stopping halfway through the month of June. The square for June thirteenth seemed to have turned into a minuscule television screen. She leaned forward to see into it, and felt herself tipping forward, the window was widening, her body left the chair and she was pitched headfirst through the opening in the page, into a whirl of color and shadow.

She felt her feet hit solid ground, and stood, shaking, as the blurred shapes around her came suddenly into focus. It seemed like she was still in Dumbledore's office, but where Albus had been sitting a moment before, a balding, frail wizard was reading a letter by candlelight. She didn't recognize him.

"I'm sorry," she said quietly. "I didn't mean to butt in—

"He can't hear you." Elizabeth turned to see that Severus was behind her. "This is Riddle's memory. You don't actually exist here, so you can only watch, not interact."

"This is Dumbledore's office?"

"Not 50 years ago," Severus said.

There was a knock on the office door.

"Enter," said the old wizard.

A boy of about sixteen entered, taking off his pointed hat.

"Is it Halloween?" Elizabeth asked Severus in a hushed voice.

"The pointed hat used to be more popular," Severus answered, his eyes trained on the teenager.

"Ah, Riddle," the headmaster was saying.

"You wanted to see me, Professor Dippet?" said Riddle.

"Sit down. I've just been reading the letter you sent me."

"Oh," said Riddle. He sat down.

"My dear boy," said Dippet. "I cannot possible let you stay at school over the summer. Surely you want to go home for the holidays?"

"No," said Riddle at once. "I'd much rather stay at Hogwarts than go back to that— to that—

"You live in a Muggle orphanage during the holidays, I believe?"

"Dad?" Elizabeth turned sad eyes on Severus, who brought his forearm around her collarbones, pulling her solidly against him.

"You and I aren't the only wizards with unfortunate childhoods," he said gently.

"You are Muggle-born?" the headmaster asked.

"Half-blood, sir," said Riddle. "Muggle father, witch mother."

"And are both your parents—?"

"My mother died just after I was born, sir. They told me at the orphanage she lived just long enough to name me."

"The thing is, Tom," the older wizard sighed, "special arrangements might have been made for you, but in the current circumstances…"

"You mean all these attacks, sir?"

Elizabeth gripped Severus' arm.

"Precisely. My dear boy, you must see how foolish it would be of me to allow you to remain at the castle when term ends. Particularly in the light of the recent tragedy… the death of that poor little girl… You will be safer by far at your orphanage. As a matter of fact, the Ministry of Magic is even now talking about closing the school. We are no nearer locating the— er— source of all this unpleasantness…"

"Sir, if the person was caught, if it all stopped—

"Riddle, do you mean you know something about these attacks?"

"No, sir," said Riddle quickly.

Elizabeth recognized a lie when she heard one, especially from a frightened teenager.

"Dad—

"I know," Severus nodded, "But he's leaving, we need to follow. We'll talk when we get out of this."

Riddle led them into the hallway.

"What are you doing, wandering around this late, Tom?" A voice came from the staircase. Elizabeth watched with interest as Riddle spoke to someone she finally realized was a much younger Albus.

"He looks strange with brown hair," she said to Severus, who smirked.

Riddle led them on, down a corridor, until they saw a dark outline of a huge boy who was crouching in front of an open door, a very large box next to it.

"Evening, Rubeus," Riddle said sharply.

The boy slammed the door shut.

"Dad, it's Hagrid!"

"I'm going to turn you in, Rubeus," Riddle was saying. "They are going to close Hogwarts if they don't catch what's doing this."

"It never killed no one!" Young Hagrid said, backing against the closed door.

"Come on, Rubeus," Riddle said. "The dead girl's parents will be here tomorrow. The least Hogwarts can do is make sure that the thing that killed their daughter is slaughtered…"

"It wasn't him!"

Riddle hit the door with a blinding spell. As Elizabeth watched, a huge, hairy body and a tangle of black legs emerged, a gleam of many eyes and a pair of razor-sharp pinchers flashing into view. Elizabeth screamed, and Severus pulled her back against him.

"It's alright," he said calmly. "It can't hurt you."

Riddle raised his wand again, but the monster bowled him over as it scuttled down the corridor and out of sight. Elizabeth watched as Riddle tried to go after it, but Hagrid knocked him back to the ground.

The scene whirled, and darkness became complete; Elizabeth felt herself falling and, with a crash, she landed on her back, Severus beneath her breaking her fall, in Dumbledore's office. Riddle's diary was on her stomach.

She rolled off to the side, thinking as she did that Severus' billowing robes seemed to make a lake of black on the floor.

"Are you two alright?" Albus was standing behind his desk as if he'd been waiting.

"Yeah." Elizabeth scrambled to her feet as Severus rose, more gracefully. He snatched the diary from the floor and tossed it on Dumbledore's desk before taking his daughter's shoulders in his hands.

"All in one piece?" he looked intently at her face.

"I'm fine."

"What did you see?" Albus eyed the diary.

"Nothing," Elizabeth said quickly.

"Elizabeth," Severus raised an eyebrow. "We discussed lying."

"I promised I wouldn't lie to_ you_," Elizabeth said quickly. "He didn't do it, Dad."

"We know, hatchling." Severus said gently, looking at Albus. "Riddle showed us his…solution to his housing problem."

"Hagrid." Albus nodded. "Not the last we'll hear of him in this unfortunate affair, I imagine."

"There's no way—

"Elizabeth," Severus cut her off. "No one in this room thinks that Hagrid is causing this. Riddle was… a troubled boy." He looked at his daughter and could see the questions swirling in her eyes. "Let's go," he put his arm around her. "Father, you'll take care of that?" he gestured at the diary.

Albus nodded. "I will have your mother run some tests."

***S***S*

Back in the dungeons, Severus settled into his armchair with tea and looked at his daughter. "Alright, out with it."

Elizabeth shrugged. "Nothing, the monster just freaked me out, I guess."

"I believe that," Severus said, setting his cup on the table. "But you were upset before that."

"It's just…" Elizabeth bit her lip. "I don't know."

"Yes, you do," Severus crooked a finger. "Come here."

"I'm too old," Elizabeth protested, climbing into his lap and laying her head on his shoulder.

"Oh really?" Severus smoothed her hair. He waited, marveling for a moment at his own patience. It was certainly not a trait he'd possessed in the past.

"There's something about him," she said studied the buttons on his jacket. "I don't know what it is. Evil, I guess."

"Hmm."

"You know something about him, don't you?"

"Nothing helpful to the situation," Severus lied smoothly, taking a sip of tea.

"I can understand not wanting to go home," Elizabeth murmured.

Severus' brow furrowed. "You don't want to go home?"

"Oh! Not now," Elizabeth realized her mistake. "I'm saying that I wouldn't have wanted to go back to the Dursleys."

"I see," Severus relaxed a bit.

"Dad? If I was still living with them… would I have come to Hogwarts? Would I have gotten a letter?"

"Of course," Severus said gently. "Your grandfather might have had to go to Surrey himself, but you would have come to Hogwarts."

"And gone back in the summer?" Elizabeth frowned.

"Elizabeth," Severus soothed. "Everything is fine. Everything will be fine."

"I guess."

Severus sighed. "Why don't you floo to your common room?" he suggested.

"Really?"

"Two hours," he said firmly. "Two hours from now, you will be on that sofa," he pointed. "Clear?"

"Yes, sir! Thank you!" She hugged him and flew off his lap like she was being launched.

***S***S*

"Betsy!" Fred and George were sitting next to the fire, furiously drawing something on parchment. Fred grinned as she came through the floo. "The warden let you out?"

"Two hours," she said affably.

"Ron and Granger are outside somewhere," George said, turning the parchment right and left and back right.

"But you can hang with us," Fred said, snagging her waist and pulling her to sit with him on the oversized armchair.

"What are you guys working on?"

"Lumos Taffy," Fred pointed to the parchment. "After you eat it, light comes out of your mouth for an hour."

"We'd like it to come out of your ears too," George added. "But we can't figure out how to do it."

"You need something that interacts with ear wax," Elizabeth said, sitting back in the chair.

Fred looked at her, his grin even bigger. "That's exactly what we need!" He snatched the parchment and started scribbling. "The mouth thing works because we charmed it to work with body fluids…"

"Makes peeing fun as well," George put in.

"But if we change the charm… or a double charm?" Fred looked at George.

"We need testing, Weasley."

"Definitely, Weasley."

George jumped up. "Quick Hogsmeade trip."

"No problem." Fred waved him off. "I'll be here."

"Why aren't you going?" Elizabeth asked when George was gone.

"Security is tighter lately because of the whole chamber thing," Fred said, leaning back next to her. "It's better if one of us stays here so that our face is visible."

"You're a bad influence, Weasley." Elizabeth grinned at him.

"Oh really?" Fred eyed her hand that lay on the cushion between them. "You're the one who has been on house arrest."

"I've been given a two hour parole," she said, wondering how long she was going to have to leave her hand there before he would take it. "Good behavior."

"I don't believe that for a minute," Fred said quietly. "You just haven't gotten caught lately."

"I'm trying to get Quidditch back," she said forlornly. "Dad's loving that I can't play. It's not likely to be the thing that he relents on."

"We could put you in a disguise. Or have Granger whip you up some polyjuice—

"Don't!" Elizabeth punched him lightly on the arm. "Don't even say it."

"Just kidding," Fred grabbed her fist, holding it between his hands. "That was wicked, though."

"You were cool with that, but dragons bothered you?" Elizabeth fought to keep her voice steady. His hands were warm and soft.

"Granger wouldn't poison you," he grinned. "Just don't drink anything Malfoy made, alright?"

"Deal."


	11. Spiders

"I'm going to the game," Severus said, leaning against the door of her room. "Are you sure you don't want to come?"

"I'm good," Elizabeth held up her Potions text. "Sadistic professor is giving a test Monday."

"Where did you learn words like that?" Severus scowled.

"Remus." Elizabeth said, pretending to read a page. Severus had offered to let her attend the game, if she sat next to him, another brief respite from her punishment. But Elizabeth couldn't think of anything worse than watching her team play without her.

"Alright. I'll return in a few hours, unless there's some kind of Quidditch record set," Severus tapped the door jam. "Behave yourself."

"I'll be here." Elizabeth dug her toes into the bedspread.

Elizabeth had barely read three pages when Severus reappeared. "You need to come with me."

"Dad, I really don't want to—

"Elizabeth." Severus said quietly. "The game was canceled. There has been an attack."

"Who?" Elizabeth shoved her feet into her already laced shoes.

Severus put his hands on her shoulders. "A Ravenclaw girl and…" he sighed. "It's Hermione, hatchling."

"Hermione!" She lunged toward the door, but Severus wrapped his arms around her and held her tight.

"Listen to me," he said gently. "You can't do anything for her right now. I'll take you to see her, and then you have to go to the Tower."

"Where? When?" Elizabeth leaned against him. "She's petrified, right? Not—

"They found her by the library," Severus' voice was even, calming. "She's petrified, she'll be alright once the Mandrakes mature." He looked down at her. "We don't have to go, hatchling. She's in good hands, your grandmother is with her, and the youngest Weasley boy."

Elizabeth bit her lip. "I want to see her."

"Alright. Quickly, though." Severus ushered her out the door and to the hospital wing. He pushed open the door and stood behind her as she took in the still, glassy-eyed Hermione.

"I don't suppose you know anything about this?" Minerva was standing beside her frozen student, holding up a small, circular mirror.

Elizabeth shook her head, grabbing Ron's hand.

"I will escort you back to the Tower," Minerva said. "I need to address the students in any case. Unless, Professor….?" She looked at Severus, who bent to look at Elizabeth.

"I need you to go to the Tower," he said quietly. "The security around here is going to be tight, and I need you to be with your House."

"Okay… but…" she looked warily at Hermione.

"She will be alright, hatchling, I promise." He gave her a fast hug. "I'll see you soon."

***S***S*

"All students will return to their House common rooms by six o'clock in the evening. No student is to leave the dormitories after that time. You will be escorted to each lesson by a teacher. No student is to use the bathroom unaccompanied by a teacher. All further Quidditch training and matches are to be postponed. There will be no more evening activities."

The Gryffindors stood in a huddle in the common room, listening to Minerva read from the parchment in her hand.

"I need hardly add that I have rarely been so distressed," she said, emotion evident in her voice. "It is likely that the school will be closed unless the culprit behind these attacks is caught." Elizabeth felt someone grab her hand and she didn't have to look to know it was Fred. "I would urge anyone who thinks they might know anything to come forward."

Elizabeth only half listened to the chatter that followed McGonagall's departure. The image of a frozen Hermione wouldn't leave her mind, and the prospect of the school closing was overwhelming. Tom Riddle had turned Hagrid in because he was faced with the prospect of a Muggle orphanage if the school closed.

She knew that Severus wouldn't send her back to the Dursleys, but Hogwarts was their livelihood. What would they do if Severus couldn't teach?

"What are we going to do?" Ron whispered across Fred, scowling just a little at her hand clasped in his brother's. "Do you think it really is Hagrid?"

"Dumbledore doesn't think so," she whispered back. "But maybe it's a mistake. He opened it by accident?"

"We have to go talk to him," Ron said.

"McGonagall said to stay in the Tower," Fred said firmly.

"Since when has that stopped you?" Elizabeth scowled.

"We need your cloak," Ron said, ignoring his brother.

"Dad has it. He took it after the Stone and never gave it back."

"They're guarding the halls," Ron said. "Percy just made a big deal about how he's risking his life to stand guard. We'll never make it without the cloak."

"Listen," Elizabeth turned her attention to Fred. "You know better than anyone how to get out of the castle."

"There's no way that doesn't involve going into the hallway."

"Wait." Ron looked toward the floo. "Can't you floo to Snape's quarters?"

"Yeah," Elizabeth shrugged. "That doesn't get us closer to Hagrid."

"But it gets you closer to your cloak." Ron said. "Do you know where he put it?"

"It's in his closet." Elizabeth bit her lip. "But I can't take it. I swore I'd never steal from him again, not after the firecracker."

"A diversion, then." Ron looked thoughtful. "A diversion that would draw the teachers, and maybe we could get out of the castle."

"They'll still see us," Fred said, shaking his head.

"Us?" Ron looked at his brother.

"Well you guys don't seem to have a plan." He thought for a moment. "Maybe we don't need a cloak."

"There's a charm," Elizabeth said. "But I don't know it."

"I do. It's 3rd year stuff," Fred fingered his wand. "But it doesn't last very long, and it's not so much an invisibility charm as it is a blending charm. You blend in with your surroundings… so we'll have to cast it and run like hell."

"We can't run, it's not a silencing charm," Elizabeth worried.

"Tiptoe like hell then," Fred amended.

Walking through the corridor, even while invisible, was difficult with the teachers, prefects, and ghosts lining the halls.

Halfway to the main doors, they met Minerva and Severus, guarding a stretch of the hall.

"Someone stole it," Minerva was whispering to Severus. "It was in my desk this morning, and it was gone when I stopped back this evening."

Elizabeth didn't have time to wonder what they were talking about. Instead, she used the fact that the adults were talking to sneak by undetected, followed by the boys.

Once they hit the outdoors, they ran, not worried about their footsteps on the grass, to Hagrid's house. They reached it just as their bodies started to reappear. Elizabeth raised her hand to knock as her arm became visible, but the door swung open… to reveal Lucius Malfoy, Dumbledore, Hagrid, and a man Elizabeth didn't recognize.

Fred and Ron dove into the bushes, but Elizabeth was frozen in place, pinned by four pairs of eyes.

"I see our removal was well founded," Lucius Malfoy's lip curled at the sight of her. "Albus Dumbledore can't even keep the students in the castle."

"She's a messenger," Albus said, looking at her carefully. "Did Professor McGonagall have any response to my question, Miss Evans?"

Elizabeth hesitated for the briefest of moments. "Yes, sir. She said she would take first watch tonight."

Albus nodded. "Good." He looked past her. "Certainly, she didn't send you alone?"

"I'm alright, sir." Elizabeth heard the boys come out of the bushes and retreat toward the castle.

"I need to return to the castle to get my things," Albus said. "I'll escort you back."

"Someone will have to care for Fang while I'm gone," Hagrid was saying to the man Elizabeth didn't know.

"Gone where?" Elizabeth asked. "Where are you taking him?"

"Not your concern, Evans," Lucius growled. "Let's speed this process along, Fudge. We need both of these men off the grounds."

Hagrid looked at Elizabeth, then away, as if he were having some kind of fit. "If anyone wanted to find out some stuff, all they'd have to do would be to follow the spiders."

"What are you talking about, giant?" Malfoy sneered.

"Nothing," Hagrid said, pulling on his coat.

"Let's go then," Albus put his hand at the base of Elizabeth's neck, steering her toward the castle. Fudge and Hagrid broke off; Fudge apparating away with Hagrid in tow. The three remaining walked silently back to the castle.

When they were through the doors, Elizabeth was relieved to see that the guards were still clustered toward the dormitories. There were no teachers close enough to see that she had been outside. She hoped that Fred and Ron had made it back without being caught.

Inside Dumbledore's office, Albus pointed to the floo. "You may return to your common room, Miss Evans."

"Yes, sir." Elizabeth didn't need to be told twice. A feeling of dread had settled over her. Dumbledore gone, Hagrid taken away to, she could only assume, Azkaban. She wanted, badly, to curl up and go to sleep.

With a rush, she was back in the common room, deserted aside from Fred and Ron, sitting in chairs near the fireplace, clearly waiting.

"Why did he cover for you?" Ron asked immediately. "What did he say when you got back?"

"Nothing," Elizabeth said quietly. "Getting sacked doesn't make him chatty."

"Sacked? Is that why Fudge was there?" Fred rubbed his hands together absently.

"Is Fudge the guy with the hat?" Elizabeth asked.

"He's the Minister of Magic," Ron said. "Dad's boss."

"He wasn't there for Dumbledore," Elizabeth said. "He was there for Hagrid. They've taken him away."

"And Malfoy was what?" Fred asked. "Just hanging out?"

"He was there for Dumbledore. Something about a vote."

Fred shook his head. "It'll all go to hell now. No way there won't be an attack a day now that he's gone."

"Hagrid said to follow the spiders," Elizabeth said, still a little confused over that one.

Ron shuddered and Fred grinned. "Looks like Ronniekins is out."

"Shut up," Ron hissed.

Fred laughed and stood. "I suppose we should sleep while we can," he gestured to the stairs.

"You guys go. I'm going to stay down here a while."

The Weasleys headed up the stairs, and Elizabeth curled up in the chair closest to the fire, pulling a throw around her shoulders. She stared into the fire for a long time until she was startled out of her trance by the portrait opening.

"I told your grandmother that I'd check the boys' dormitories," Severus said quietly. He sat on the front edge of her armchair. "What are you still doing down here, hatchling?"

Elizabeth shrugged. "Not really tired." As if on cue, a yawn betrayed her. Severus raised an eyebrow. "I just don't want to be with people."

Severus nodded. "I wish I could take you with me downstairs, but I'll only be there myself for a few hours."

"Hagrid is gone. Dumbledore is gone."

Severus nodded again. "I'm not going to ask how you know that." He lifted her chin to meet his eyes. "It will be alright. It's a snag, but we'll get through it."

"Okay."

"Come," Severus stood, pulling her up as well. "Your grandmother is checking the Slytherin girls and then is coming here. You should be in bed when she gets here." He kissed her forehead and hugged her, letting her pull away when she was ready. "Go on," he prodded her toward the stairs. "I need to check on the boys, and I don't want to see you in the common room when I get back."

"Goodnight, Dad."

"Goodnight, hatchling."

***S***S*

"I'm quite surprised the Mudbloods haven't all packed their bags by now," Malfoy said in Potions the next day. "Bet you five Galleons the next one dies. Pity it wasn't Granger—

"Mr. Malfoy, go to my office." Snape ordered. "The rest of you, clean up and line up at the door. I've got to take you all to Herbology. No one is to leave this room without me." He swept through the door to his office, closing it firmly behind him and eyeing the blond boy standing near his desk.

"Do you have a death wish of some kind, Mr. Malfoy?"

"I'm safe," Draco said haughtily. "My blood is pure."

"I'd heard a rumor to that effect," Severus said dryly. "What have I told you about your pure blood propagandizing, Draco?"

"It's not propaganda, it's the truth."

Severus pressed his lips together. "Does it seem strange to you that your idol in this situation is harming innocent children?"

Draco snorted. "Like you haven't."

Snape's eyes went stormy. "Listen to me, young man. I believe I've made it clear that I've done things in the past I'm not proud of. I would like to keep you from doing the same thing."

"I am doing the right thing," Draco squared his shoulders. "I'm backing the winning horse. If you hadn't left the Right side, you might be running this school right now."

In one quick motion, Severus had Draco by the front of his robes, holding him up to look him in the eye. "I'm not sure when you started speaking to me this way, Draco Lucius, but it stops now. Do I make myself clear?"

Taken aback slightly by the man who had always been physically gentle toward him, Draco's eyes widened. "Yes."

"Yes, _sir."_ Severus prompted sternly.

"Yes, sir." Draco said softly.

"Good." He set the boy down. "A four foot essay on the contributions of Half-blood and Muggle-born witches and wizards on my desk in two days. Heaven help you if it has any taste of elitism." He raised an eyebrow.

"Yes, sir." Draco ground his teeth together.

"Do not disappoint me, Mr. Malfoy." The bell rang, and Severus pointed to the door. "Go."

***S***S*

"That Draco Malfoy character," said Ernie when they were working in Herbology. "He seems very pleased about all this, doesn't he? D'you know, I think he might be Slytherin's heir."

'I don't think so," Elizabeth said, her attention caught by several large spiders scuttling over the ground outside the greenhouse, moving in an unnaturally straight line as though taking the shortest route to a prearranged meeting.

"Look at that," Elizabeth whispered to Ron.

"Oh," Ron looked pale. "Well, we can't follow them now, if that's what you mean."

"Looks like they're heading for the Forbidden Forest…"

Ron lost even more color.

At the end of the lesson, Professor Sprout escorted the class to their Defense lesson. Elizabeth and Ron lagged behind to talk.

"We could take Fang with us," Elizabeth said. "But how do we get there?"

"I thought you promised not to lie to your dad anymore?"

"Well then I guess we should just let the Chamber monster kill people," Elizabeth said sarcastically.

"Aren't there supposed to be werewolves in the forest?" Ron said nervously as they sat down.

"Could be worse," Elizabeth shrugged, wishing she could stick up for werewolves.

Elizabeth listened to Lockhart prattle on about Hagrid and how everything was fine, and that he, Lockhart, could have stopped the monster himself, but sometimes you have to let people work out their own problems. Digging her nails into her palm with one hand, she used the other to scrawl a note to Ron. "Let's do it tonight."

Ron gulped.

***S***S*

It was late, Elizabeth was tiring of playing Exploding Snap with Fred, George and Ron. Ginny was nodding off in Hermione's regular chair. Ron was acting about as guilty as a person could act. George was oblivious, but Fred was watching her closely.

"Come over here a minute," he said after the next game, almost dragging her to a deserted corner.

"What?"

"What are you planning?" Fred asked quietly.

"Nothing." Elizabeth tried to turn back to the game, but Fred had both of her arms in his hands.

"Ron's acting like a crazy person, you're throwing games like I've never seen, and you're never up this late." He frowned. "You're trying to be awake for bed check. Why?"

Elizabeth slid her arms out of his grasp so that he was holding her hands. "I'm just freaked out, alright? I didn't sleep that great last night… I don't want to go up until I have to." She assumed what she hoped was a sad look. "And Ron is just upset about Hermione. I mean, we all are, right?"

Fred looked at her for a moment, then nodded. "Right," he pulled her into a hug. "I'm sorry. You want to sleep down here? I'll keep you company."

"Oh yeah, Dad would love that," Elizabeth laughed.

"Alright. So… Exploding Snap?"

"Exploding Snap."

At midnight, Minerva came through the common room, shooing them out. "Go to bed, children. It's past time you ought to be sleeping." Severus was behind her, robes billowing in the nonexistent wind.

"Let's go, boys, I don't have all night," he pointed to the stairway. The Weasley boys clattered up the stairs, and Ginny went up the other way.

"Dragging your feet, kitten?" Minerva asked, looking at her granddaughter.

"No, ma'am. I'm going," Elizabeth started for the stairs, but was intercepted by Severus.

"Nightmares?" he asked gently.

Elizabeth shook her head. "No, sir."

Severus looked unconvinced. "Alright. But," he looked at Minerva. "I'll leave a Draught of Peace with your grandmother in case you need it tonight."

Elizabeth nodded. Severus looked like he wanted to say something, but instead hugged her briefly and kissed the top of her head. "Goodnight."

"Come along, I'll walk you up," Minerva put her arm around Elizabeth shoulders and led her upstairs.

***S***S*

"Get some sleep, Severus," Minerva said gently as her son nearly nodded off in the hallway. "You're of no use to me tired."

Severus nodded. "Just a few hours."

He lay in his room, just managing to slip into sleep when the floo in the living room roared to life and Minerva pounded on his door.

"Elizabeth and Ronald Weasley are missing," she said breathlessly.

"What?" Severus was on his feet in a moment. "We just saw them."

"One of the twins, Fred I think, went to check on Ronald, found him gone, and came to get me. I checked the girls' dormitories, and Elizabeth is gone!"

"Hagrid's hut," Severus grabbed his wand off the bedside table and strode from the room, panic rising in his chest. _If that child snuck out to feed that dog, I'll… I don't know._

"I'll check the castle," Minerva said. "I thought you took her cloak!"

"I did," Severus thought of the cloak in his closet and shook his head. No way did she steal it back, not after the firework trouble.

Severus all but ran across the grounds, hurtling through the door of the hut. Fang was nowhere to be seen. _Walking the damn thing_, Severus thought, the panic not dying. He heard a roar outside and looked out of the door to see a mud-streaked car slam on the brakes. Two bodies were thrown from the door and the car turned around and went into the forest, where Severus could only assume that it had come from.

He watched, frozen, as the bodies dragged themselves over to sit next to pumpkins. He struggled to get his breathing and heart rate under control as the moonlight hit his daughter's face. Leaning slightly against the doorframe, he let anger flood in, pushing out the fear.

The anger gave his legs strength they hadn't had for the last few minutes. He went out to the patch.

"Hagrid never opened the Chamber of Secrets," Elizabeth was saying. "He was innocent."

"Something you already knew," Severus said coldly, crossing his arms.

Elizabeth scrambled to her feet and cast Lumos.

"Dad!"

Severus was contemplating exactly what form his lecture would take when he was hit in the stomach with a torpedo of green-eyed child.

"The monster was a spider! A huge spider!"

Severus wrapped his arms around her, unconsciously checking for injuries.

"Hagrid told us to follow the spiders, we didn't know there would be huge ones!"

"The Forest has all kinds of strange things," Severus murmured. "That's why it's forbidden."

"I would have told you, Dad, but we had to do it tonight." Elizabeth said quickly, trying to avoid a lecture.

"Hmm." Severus secured one arm around her. "We'll talk about it in the morning." He looked at Ron. "Come, Mr. Weasley. Your brother is waiting in the common room."

"Which one?" Ron said nervously.

"The teenage-boy-eyed one," Severus grumbled.

"Fred?" Elizabeth leaned against her father as they watched.

"You are far too comfortable for someone who is in as much trouble as you are, young lady." Severus said, but his voice lacked the bite he'd intended. "Yes, Fred."

They reached the front doors, met by an extremely angry Minerva.

"What were you thinking?" She all but screeched.

"They're alright, Mother," Severus said. "Let's save the scolding for when we're well rested."

Back in the common room, Fred was pacing the floor. When the portrait swung open, he ran to the tired party, slapping Ron across the back of the head before crushing him in a hug. "Idiot! There's a bloody lunatic on the loose!"

"Mr. Weasley," Minerva started to scold.

"Oh I don't know, Professor," Severus said, a bit amused. "Mr. Weasley's sentiments seem just right. Bed, all three of you." He looked down at his daughter. "I should chain you to your bed frame."

"Let's go," Fred pointed at the stairs.

"Fred." Elizabeth said quietly. "I'm—

"Not right now," Fred waved her off. The boys disappeared up the stairs.

"Come along, Elizabeth," Minerva said firmly. "Let's see if putting you to bed will stick this time."

"Grandma, you don't need to—

"Apparently I do, Elizabeth Rose," Minerva said sharply. "Since I put you in your dormitory not 2 hours ago and you were found outside the castle!"

"I can go on my own."

"Elizabeth Rose Evans, are you answering me back?" Minerva latched on to her granddaughter's ear.

"No, ma'am."

"Say goodnight to your father and let's go." She released the captured ear.

"Goodnight, Dad."

"Goodnight. Again." Severus looked down at her. "Don't leave your bed until morning."

"Yes, sir."

***S***S*

"It's a free period now," Professor McGonagall said after Transfiguration the next morning. "I'll escort you all back to the common room and I'll be back to collect you for lunch." She led them briskly down the corridor and to the portrait where she watched as they all stepped inside.

"Miss Evans," She stopped Elizabeth before she could enter the portrait. "Your father wishes to see you now. I'll walk you downstairs."

"No need," Severus' voice came from behind them. "I'll take her from here." He hand closed on her shoulder to steer her toward their quarters.

"Hi, Dad." Elizabeth grimaced.

"Hello," Severus smirked. They said nothing else all the way to the dungeons, where they sat on the sofa in their quarters.

"So you followed the spiders."

Elizabeth nodded. "I was thinking about something they said."

"You weren't thinking about how much trouble you are in?" Severus crossed his arms.

"Well, yeah. But they were saying that the girl who was killed 50 years ago was found in the bathroom."

"Dignified," Severus commented.

"So I was thinking… You don't think it's Moaning Myrtle?"

"Moaning Myrtle?"

"The ghost that haunts the girls bathroom. The one that's labeled out of order."

"The one where you and your friends tried to poison yourselves?"

"Yes, sir." Elizabeth shrugged. "I want to talk to her."

"Oh really?" Severus asked dryly. "Young lady, you were alone in the Forbidden Forest last night."

"We took Fang," Elizabeth said, knowing that it probably didn't matter in Severus' eyes.

Her father sighed. "How did you manage to get out of the castle?" He asked.

Elizabeth grimaced. "We used an disillusionment charm."

"Where did you learn that? That's third year charms."

"An older student taught us…"

"An older student who looked plenty angry with you last night?"

Elizabeth nodded. "He didn't know that we used it for that, Dad, really."

"I believe it," Severus said. "He looked significantly lied to. You owe him an apology, Elizabeth Rose."

"Yes, sir. But he wouldn't talk to me this morning…"

"Well, you're just going to have to keep trying." He sighed. "Now, about this bathroom thing—

"I just want to know what she knows," Elizabeth cut in.

"Elizabeth, the way to my good graces is not interrupting me."

"Sorry."

Severus nodded. "As I was saying, I will take you. But we will wait until the Mandrakes are mature. If we're going to go into danger, we're going to have an antidote ready."

Elizabeth nodded. "Alright." She kissed him on the cheek. "Thanks for not being too angry, Dad."

"Oh, I'm angry." Severus stood. "But what's done is done." _And you've run out of consequences_, he said to himself. With the restrictions on the students' movements and the end of Quidditch, Elizabeth was basically living as if she were grounded. Short of giving her a few smacks, he couldn't really think of anything to do to her.

"Dad?" Elizabeth stood too.

"Yes?"

"Can I go visit Hermione?"

"She's petrified, Elizabeth, she can't hear you."

"I know," Elizabeth shrugged. "I just want to see her."

Severus pondered for a moment, then sighed. "I suppose we could go for a few minutes."

***S***S*

"What's that?" Severus asked in the hospital wing, as Elizabeth pulled at a scrap of paper clamped in Hermione's hand.

"I don't know," Elizabeth yanked it free and smoothed what proved to be the page of a very old book.

"Defacing books?" Severus raised an eyebrow.

"Listen." Elizabeth read from the paper. "Of the many fearsome beasts and monsters that roam our land, there is none more curious or more deadly than the Basilisk, known also as the King of Serpents. This snake, which may reach gigantic size and live many hundreds of years, is born from a chicken's egg, hatched beneath a toad. Its methods of killing are most wondrous, for aside from its deadly and venomous fangs, the Basilisk has a murderous stare, and all who are fixed with the beam of its eye shall suffer instant death. Spiders flee before the Basilisk, for it is their mortal enemy, and the Basilisk flees only from the crowing of the rooster, which is fatal to it." She held up the paper. "Look." She pointed at the written word below the passage. "Pipes. That's Hermione's handwriting."

Severus took the paper and read it again.

"Dad, the monster in the Chamber's a basilisk— a giant serpent! That's why I've been hearing that voice all over the place, and nobody else has heard it. It's because I understand Parseltongue…"

"The basilisk kills people by looking at them," Severus said quietly, looking around. "But no one is dead… because no one looked it in the eye. Mr. Creevey saw it through his camera. The other boy… he must have seen it through the ghost. And Miss Granger…"

"She was using the mirror," Elizabeth crowed triumphantly, looking at Severus.

"Too smart to be a Gryffindor," Severus muttered, folding the page and tucking it in his robes.

"Pipes," Elizabeth said thoughtfully. "Pipes… Dad, it's been using the plumbing. I've been hearing that voice inside the walls…" She looked at him. "The entrance to the Chamber of Secrets! What is it's a bathroom? Moaning Myrtle's bathroom!"

Just then, Professor McGonagall's voice came through the corridors, magically magnified.

"All students to return to their House dormitories at once. All teachers return to the staffroom. Immediately, please."

"Another attack?" Elizabeth asked.

"I don't know," Severus said quietly. "Go to the Tower."

"Dad—

"Mr. Weasley!" Severus saw Fred passing by. "Escort my daughter back to the Tower, please."

"Yes, sir." Fred barely broke his stride, forcing Elizabeth to jog after him.

"Fred, come on."

"Come on, what?" Fred grumbled.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you. I just didn't want you to get hurt—

"You didn't want me to stop you," Fred stopped and looked at her. "You didn't want to protect me. You just didn't want me to stop your plan."

Elizabeth bit her lip. "I didn't think you'd stop me. I thought you'd want to come."

"Well I would have stopped you," Fred growled. "I would have stopped you."

"You couldn't, Fred! We had to follow the spiders!"

"What good did that little expedition do? You could have been attacked!" Fred's voice was so fierce that Elizabeth shrank back.

They had reached the portrait, but Fred paused, glaring at her as if asking for a response. But she had none, and at her silence, he made another growling noise before snapping the password and storming through the portrait.

Elizabeth followed, more slowly, a feeling of dread settling over her.


	12. The Chamber of Secrets

Darkness was falling as Ron and Elizabeth made their way down to Lockhart's office. Elizabeth was surprised that no one stopped them as they left the common room, but the Gryffindors were so buried in grief that they slipped out with no resistance.

Minerva had given the news as gently as she could, telling the students that Professor Lockhart was doing all he could to recover Ginny. She'd left them all to pack, but not before pulling Elizabeth aside.

"Lupin is coming to the train station to take you home, kitten. Your father may have to be here a few days."

Elizabeth didn't have any intention of going home.

"Professor, we've got some information for you," Elizabeth said when Lockhart opened his door. "We think it'll help you."

"Er— well— it's not terribly…" the side of Lockhart's face that they could see looked very uncomfortable. "I mean… well… all right."

He opened his office door and they entered.

His office had been almost completely stripped. Two large trunks stood open on the floor. Robes had been hastily folded into one of them; books thrown into another.

"Are you going somewhere?" Elizabeth hardly recognized her voice. It sounded like Severus'.

"Er, well, yes… Urgent call… unavoidable…"

"What about my sister?" Ron demanded.

"You're the Defense teacher! You can't go now!" Elizabeth said, anger bubbling in her stomach.

"You're running away!" Ron accused. "After all that stuff you did in your books—

"Books can be misleading," Lockhart hedged.

"You wrote them!" Elizabeth threw her arms up in the gesture that always made Severus comment about her resemblance to Lily.

"My dear girl," Lockhart said, his voice patronizing. "Do use your common sense. My books wouldn't have sold half as well if people didn't think I'd done all those things. No one wants to read about some ugly old Armenian warlock, even if he did save a village from werewolves. I mean come on—

"So you've just been taking credit for what a load of other people have done?"

"Sweetheart," Lockhart said impatiently. "It's not nearly as simple as that. There was work involved. It's been a lot of work."

He banged the lids of his trunks shut and locked them.

"Let's see," he said. "I think that's everything. Yes. Only one thing left."

He pulled out his wand and turned to them.

"Awfully sorry, kids, but I'll have to put a Memory Charm on you now. Can't have you blabbing my secrets all over the place. I'd never sell another book—

Elizabeth's Defense training with Severus didn't fail her. "Expelliarmus!" She shouted, blasting Lockhart backward before he had even raised his wand.

Ron grabbed the fallen man's wand and tossed it out the nearest window.

"What d'you want me to do?" Lockhart asked from the floor. "I don't know where the Chamber of Secrets is."

"You're in luck," said Elizabeth, forcing Lockhart to his feet at wandpoint. "We think we know where it is. And what's inside it. Let's go."

***S***S*

When they reached the bathroom, Severus was already there.

"That tap's never worked," Myrtle was explaining helpfully.

"Elizabeth, what are you doing down here?"

"You need a Parselmouth, Dad." Elizabeth looked at the tap. "Wait. Look," she pointed at one of the taps. A tiny snake was scratched into the copper.

"Say something," Ron said. "Say something in Parseltongue."

"Mr. Weasley, I don't think—

"Dad, I'm the only one who can talk to that thing down there!" Elizabeth looked at her father. Severus pressed his lips together and took a deep breath. "Fine. But it doesn't matter if we don't know how to get into the Chamber."

"Say something," Ron insisted.

Elizabeth thought hard. The only times she'd ever managed to speak Parseltongue were when she'd been faced with a real snake. She stared at the engraving, trying to imagine it was real.

"Open up," she said.

She looked at Ron, who shook his head.

"English."

Elizabeth book back at the snake, willing herself to believe it was alive. If she moved her head, the candlelight made it look as though it were moving.

"Open up," she said.

Except that the words weren't what she heard; a strange hissing had escaped her, and at once the tap glowed with a brilliant white light and began to spin. The sink began to move, leaving a large pipe exposed, a pipe wide enough for a man to slide into.

"Let's go," Elizabeth looked at her father.

"Not Mr. Weasley," Severus decided. "Lockhart and I will go down first, and only if I send back my patronus will you follow."

"Please, sir. My sister is down there."

"I'm aware of that Mr. Weasley. That's why you are going to go right now and find as many teachers as you can and show them the entrance."

"Yes, sir." Ron ran off.

"I hardly think you need me, Severus," Lockhart said. "And considering your daughter stole my wand, I'm not sure what you expect me to do. Pity, because I probably could have been finished by now."

"You stole his wand?" Severus raised an eyebrow at Elizabeth.

"He tried to put a Memory Charm on us, Dad. I disarmed him. Ron threw his wand out the window."

Severus rounded on the other teacher. "WHAT?"

"The children made up some ridiculous lies, really, and I couldn't have them spreading such things about—

"PETRIFICUS TOTALUS!" Severus cast, hitting Lockhart in the chest. Then he turned to Elizabeth. "Are you alright? He didn't hurt you?"

"I'm fine, Dad, really. I blasted him on his ass."

"Language," Severus scolded, his voice completely devoid of irritation and heavy with pride.

"We have to go, Dad."

"Hold on," Severus conjured a little yellow sticky note and a quill, scrawled something, and affixed the note to Lockhart's frozen body. "Alright. I'll go down. Don't come until my patronus returns, understand?"

"Hurry, Dad."

Severus disappeared down the pipe. It felt like an eternity before a silver doe appeared and looked at her. "Alright, hatchling. Careful." Severus' voice came from the doe before it disappeared.

She slid down the pipe and landed beside Severus.

"Draw your wand," he ordered. "And don't lower it."

"Any sign of movement, close your eyes right away." Elizabeth added.

"Correct."

They walked forward, Severus unsure of whether he should be behind or in front of his daughter. He found his attention split between his surroundings and Elizabeth.

"Dad, there's something up there…" Elizabeth gestured in front of them. They froze, watching. Elizabeth could just see the outline of something huge and curved, lying right across the tunnel. It wasn't moving.

"Maybe it's asleep." Elizabeth edged forward a bit until Severus grabbed her arm. "Wait, Dad." She held her wand up for the light. "It's shed skin."

Severus relaxed his hold. They walked on, until they reached a solid wall on which two entwined serpents were carved, their eyes set with great, glinting emeralds.

They approached. Elizabeth looked at Severus and he squeezed her shoulder.

"Open," She hissed.

The serpents parted as the wall cracked open, the halves slid smoothly out of sight, and the two walked inside.

***S***S*

Professor McGonagall arrived in the girls' bathroom, Flitwick and Sprout in tow.

"What went on here?" Flitwick marched over to the prostrate Lockhart and was about to reverse the body bind when Professor Sprout stopped him.

"Wait!" She plucked the yellow sticky note off the man's chest and read it aloud. "Do not unbind the imbecile. Severus Snape." Sprout looked at Minerva. "Surely—

McGonagall shook her head. "If Severus bound him, then bound he'll remain. There are too few reasons why he would have done so, none of which will help our cause for the moment."

"We can't just leave him here," Sprout fussed, dragging the man into a kind of leaning position against the wall.

"We most certainly can," Minerva snapped. "Stop acting like a Hufflepuff."

"I am a Hufflepuff," Sprout said indignantly.

"Ladies," Flitwick intervened. "If you remember, we have a mission."

"Oh yes," Minerva glared at the pipe. "We're going to vanquish whatever is down there and then I'm going to give my son a piece of my mind. Taking a little girl into a place like that. Lost his mind."

The three professors cast _lumos_ and then slipped down the pipe, McGonagall first.

"Well, that was delightful," Flitwick brushed off his robes when he landed.

"Yes," Minerva grimaced. "The newest Muggle amusement park attraction, I'm sure."

"Did anyone send word to Dumbledore?" Professor Sprout asked, looking around the cavern.

"An owl as soon as Ginny Weasley was found missing," Minerva assured. "Now, Mr. Weasley, in his babbling, explained that Severus suspects a Basilisk resides down here. Everyone, take care where you look."

***S***S*

"Ginny!" Severus couldn't stop Elizabeth from rushing forward, falling to her knees beside the witch, who was lying face down on the floor. "Ginny… Ginny, please wake up." She shook the younger girl. "Fred will never forgive me if you don't wake up."

"Elizabeth," Severus moved to pull her up from the body. He wanted desperately to believe that Ginny Weasley was sleeping, but there was very little chance of that.

"She won't wake," said a soft voice from the dark.

"Tom— Tom Riddle?" Elizabeth looked at the slightly blurry figure.

Riddle nodded, but his eyes were on Snape. "Severus. I've been hearing rather interesting stories about you. Little Ginny's been writing for months and months about how her brothers tease her and how she had to come to school with secondhand robes and books." Riddle's eyes glinted. "It was boring. However, I wrote back. I was sympathetic. I was kind. I was patient. Waiting."

"We have to help her, Tom, she's going to die." Elizabeth tried to pull Ginny off the floor.

"Yes." Riddle confirmed, as if it couldn't matter less. "She poured out her heart to me, including how different her brother had been since he met the famous Elizabeth Evans."

Elizabeth's fear about Ginny's situation began to recede, leaving room for her mind to think again. There was something about Riddle… she had sensed evil. She put her hand to her chest, feeling the violently spinning necklace below her robes.

"Leave Ron out of this," she said sharply.

Riddle chuckled. The sound was grating. "Not that brother, you idiotic child. Fred. His attachment to you seemed so strong… he was my backup plan if you didn't come for this one," he gestured to Ginny.

"What do you want with me?"

Riddle chuckled again. "Oh, I don't know. Severus, what would I want with her?"

"Elizabeth, come over here." Severus ordered, not answering.

"So it is true," Riddle shook his head. "I almost couldn't believe it." He continued to watch Severus as he recited, "_Dear Tom, Elizabeth is in so much trouble! Ron says they exploded a cauldron in class today. I don't know what for, but she shouldn't act up like that in her father's class!"_

Elizabeth hadn't moved from Ginny's side.

"So the Death Eater is the father of the Girl Who Lived," Riddle said, smirking. "Although, apparently, not one that inspires obedience." He looked at Elizabeth. "However, 'Death Eater' appears to be an incorrect term. In Dumbledore's pocket the whole time, where you?" He shook his head. "No matter. You'll die for that tonight. Ginny Weasley has fulfilled her purpose, and all traitors and mudbloods will be gone."

"I asked what you wanted with me," Elizabeth glared at him.

"Well, you see, Ginny told me all about you, Elizabeth. Your whole fascinating history." He glanced at the scar on her forehead. "I knew I must find out more about you, talk to you, meet you if I could. And, of course, kill you." He threw a hand up as Severus reached for his wand. "Don't bother, Snape, you can't kill me. I'm a memory." He sneered.

"How do you know my dad?"

Riddle feigned shock. "You haven't told her, Snape? When I created this memory, you were one of my most trusted followers." He looked at Elizabeth. "I don't remember you having a child. But, then again, I didn't know everything about you, did I? Your Occlumency skills really are remarkable."

"She knows about my failures," Severus snapped. "What she doesn't know is who _you_ are."

"Oh, well that can be easily remedied." He reached out in one motion and snatched Elizabeth's wand from where she'd dropped it on the floor. As if giving a handwriting lesson, he traced three shimmering words in the air:

TOM MARVOLO RIDDLE

Then he waved the wand once, and the letters of his name rearranged themselves:

I AM LORD VOLDEMORT

"You see?" he whispered. "It was a name I was already using in school. You think I was going to use my filthy Muggle father's name forever? I, in whose veins runs the blood of Salazar Slytherin himself, through my mother's side?" He sneered.

"I couldn't risk opening the Chamber a second time when I was at Hogwarts, so I preserved myself in a diary so that I could lead someone else to do my bidding. A shame it wasn't you." He played with the wand in his hands. "I had hopes, when you wrote the day I showed you my… handling of Hagrid. But then Ginny was back." He scowled at the prostrate girl. "She saw you with the diary, see, and stole it back. Right from under her Head of House's nose, she claimed."

"You made her open the Chamber," Elizabeth accused, on her feet now, as if she was going to fight the Dark Lord with her fists.

"Persuaded," Riddle corrected serenely. "My plan worked perfectly. The chamber is open, and soon you and your traitor of a father will be dead, just like your mudblood of a mother."

"Don't talk about my mother," Elizabeth lunged, but felt herself being pulled back.

When Elizabeth was in range, Severus released the capture charm and grabbed her arm.

"A good thought, Severus," Riddle mocked. "But just prolonging the inevitable, really. You, Evans, are in the presence of the most powerful wizard in the world."

"You're not," Elizabeth spat.

"Elizabeth," Severus whispered, desperately wishing that he had put a stop to her smart mouth before it had the chance to kill her.

"You're not," She repeated. "Hagrid said that even _you_ fear Albus Dumbledore."

Riddle's expression went from mocking to dark. "Dumbledore's been driven out of this castle by the mere memory of me!"

'He's not as gone as you think!" Elizabeth hissed. "You don't even have the followers you thought you did."

Riddle held up Elizabeth's wand. "I'm tired of listening to you—

He froze.

Music was come from somewhere. Riddle whirled around to stare down the empty Chamber. The music was growing louder. It was eerie, spine-tingling, unearthly; it lifted the hair on the back of Elizabeth's neck. Then, as the music reached such a pitch that Elizabeth felt it vibrating inside her ribs, flames erupted at the top of the nearest pillar.

"That's a phoenix…" said Riddle.

"Fawkes?" Elizabeth asked as the bird floated down from above and landed on her shoulder.

"And that… that's the old school Sorting Hat—" Riddle seemed unsteady.

So it was. Patched, frayed, and dirty, the hat lay motionless at Elizabeth's feet.

Riddle began to laugh. He laughed so hard that the Chamber rang with it.

"This is what Dumbledore sends his defender! A songbird and an old hat! Do you feel brave, Elizabeth Evans? Do you feel safe now?"

"That's not all she has," Severus growled, pushing his daughter behind him.

"Severus, if you were a match for me, you would have killed me long ago. Or long into the future, depending on how you look at it." Riddle smirked. "You'll need an army. And even then—

"He'll have an army," Minerva's voice echoed through the chamber. Riddle and Severus swung around to see McGonagall, Sprout, and Flitwick. Elizabeth took the opportunity to pull from Severus' grasp and grab the old hat, sure that Albus had sent her something more. Useless, most likely, she thought to herself. A joke. Or candy. Or…

Nothing. There was nothing in the hat.

Riddle had recovered from his shock. "Good of you all to join me. Killing you here will spare my friend a trip upstairs."

He positioned himself between the high pillars and looked up into the stone face of Slytherin, high above him in the half-darkness. Riddle opened his mouth wide and hissed, in a language only Elizabeth understood.

"_Speak to me, Slytherin, greatest of the Hogwarts Four_."

Slytherin's gigantic stone face was moving, his mouth opening, wider and wider, to make a huge black hole. And something was stirring inside the statue's mouth. Something was slithering from its depths.

Fawkes took flight as something huge hit the stone floor of the Chamber. Elizabeth felt it shudder— she knew what was happening, she could sense it, could almost see the giant serpent uncoiling itself from Slytherin's mouth.

"Close your eyes!" She shouted to the adults, pressing her own eyes closed.

"Elizabeth, go," Severus ordered.

"I can't," Elizabeth hissed. "It'll chase me down in a minute."

"_Kill them_," Riddle hissed to his serpent. "_The girl first. It will be fun to watch the others let her die_."

Elizabeth eased her eyes into a squint. She was dead anyway, closed eyes or not.

Fawkes was soaring around the thing's head, and the basilisk was snapping at him with fangs long and thin as sabers—

Fawkes dove. His long golden beak sank out of sight and a sudden shower of dark blood spattered the floor. The snake's tail thrashed, narrowly missing Elizabeth, and before she could shut her eyes, it turned. Elizabeth looked straight into its face and saw that its eyes, both its great, bulbous yellow eyes, and been punctured by the phoenix.

"Open your eyes!" Elizabeth shouted. "It can't see!"

"_Leave the bird alone_!" Riddle was screaming. "_The girl is behind you! You can still smell her! Kill her_!"

Elizabeth dodged the basilisk before its tail could hit her. Riddle still had her wand, not that any of the spells the adults were firing were helping. Riddle was not much more than a mirage, and the snake was too unpredictable to hit.

The snake lunged at Severus.

"_NO!" _Elizabeth shouted in Parseltongue. _"He's the Head of Slytherin House! He's a Snake!"_

The snake tossed her head in apparent irritation. "_This one speaks_," she hissed at Riddle.

"_It doesn't matter! Snape is a traitor! Kill him! And kill her!"_

The snake made a motion that Elizabeth thought looked oddly like a shrug, and rose over Severus again, ready to strike.

"Help me," Elizabeth begged the cosmos. "Help him. Please."

The snake's tail whipped across the floor again. Elizabeth ducked, and something soft hit her face.

The basilisk had swept the Sorting Hat into her arms. She clutched the still empty hat to her face. At least she wouldn't have to watch…

The hat was suddenly hard. Quickly pulling it open she found a gleaming silver sword had appeared inside the hat, its handle glittering with rubies the size of eggs.

"_Kill him later! Get to the girl! She's behind you!"_

Elizabeth scrambled to her feet, ready. The basilisk's head was failing, it's body coiling around, hitting pillars as it twisted to face her.

Severus watched as the snake turned away from him.

"No!" He shouted. "Sectumsempra!" Bloody gashes appeared on the snake, and it turned back, furious.

Flitwick fired a sleeping charm at the basilisk, but it had no effect.

Elizabeth raised the sword, hitting the snake in the side, shifting its ire.

"Elizabeth Snape, stop that!" Severus shouted, raising his wand again, but he was too late.

The basilisk lunged. Elizabeth threw her whole weight behind the sword and drove it to the hilt into the roof of the serpent's mouth.

She didn't need to hear Minerva's scream to know what she'd been wounded. The warm blood drenched her arms, and she felt a searing pain just above her elbow. One long, poisonous fang was sinking deeper and deeper into her arm and it splintered as the basilisk keeled over sideways and fell, twitching, to the floor.

Elizabeth slid down the wall. She heard Severus and Minerva shouting, and Riddle laughing.

White-hot pain was spreading slowly and steadily from the wound. Even as she dropped the fang and watched her own blood soaking her robes, her vision went foggy.

A swirl of red feathers swam past, and Elizabeth heard the soft clatter of talons on stone.

"Fawkes…" Elizabeth murmured. "You were great, Fawkes…" She felt the bird lay its head on her arm.

"Elizabeth!" Severus' voice floated over the serpent. "Hold on, we're trying to get to you!"

"Don't bother," Riddle called back. "She's dead. Even Dumbledore's bird knows it." Riddle's voice was fading, but Elizabeth was sure that it wasn't because he was losing strength. "Do you see what he's doing, Evans? He's crying."

Elizabeth blinked. She tried to focus on her arm, barely making out the pearly tears that were trickling out of Fawkes' eyes.

"I'm going to sit here and watch you die, Elizabeth Evans. Take your time. I'm in no hurry. That cutting spell your father cast, did you hear it? He created that one himself, you know. A lot of rage had to be behind that invention, don't you think?" Riddle chuckled. He lazily flicked his stolen wand at the serpent's body, and it expanded, forming an impenetrable wall of snake between the dying child and the Hogwarts teachers.

"I'm thinking I'll use it when I kill him, wouldn't that be fun?" Riddle went on. "He survives a good _crucio_ fairly well. A couple rounds of that and then Sectumsempra," Riddle smirked. "I might not even need Avada Kedavra."

"So ends the famous Elizabeth Evans," Riddle's voice was distant now. "Alone in the Chamber, adults who promised to protect her unable to help. Or perhaps unwilling? They did allow you down here." Riddle shrugged as if this was actually something he was considering. "You'll be back with your dear Mudblood mother soon, Betsy…" He sneered. "That's what he calls you, isn't it?" Riddle assumed a false caring voice. "How do you think he's going to take this news? His sister and his girlfriend dead in the Chamber? Although girlfriend might be the wrong word, based on what the idiotic child wrote to me. Love at first sight, she seems to think."

_I'm sorry, Fred. I'm sorry I couldn't save her_, Elizabeth thought._ I hope she dies as peacefully as I am. Really, the pain isn't so bad at all._

But was this dying? Instead of going black, the Chamber seemed to be coming back into focus. Elizabeth gave her head a little shake and there was Fawkes, still resting his head on her arm. A pearly patch of tears was shining all around the wound— except there was no wound…

"Get away, bird," said Riddle's voice suddenly back full strength. "Get away!"

Elizabeth raised her head. Riddle was pointing her wand at the bird; there was a bang, and Fawkes took flight.

"Phoenix tears…" Riddle said it like a curse. "Of course… healing powers…"

He looked at Elizabeth's face. "But it makes no difference. In fact, I prefer it this way. Just you and me, Elizabeth Evans… you and me…"

He raised the wand…

Then, in a rush of wings, Fawkes had soared back overhead and something fell into Elizabeth's lap… the diary.

For a split second, both Elizabeth and Riddle, wand still raised, stared at it. Then, without thinking, without considering, disobeying ever lecture Severus had ever given her about thinking about her actions, Elizabeth seized the basilisk fang on the floor next to her and plunged it straight into the heart of the book.

On the other side of the basilisk, the teachers were trying to raise the snake enough to get under it, but even their combined magic couldn't raise the massive serpent.

Severus was making one last attempt to slice the dead snake when they heard it. A long, dreadful, piercing scream. Blood seeped under the basilisk, and Severus' heart stopped.

The screaming continued and then… silence.

Severus sagged against the basilisk's side, his robes soaked in blood.

"Sev," Minerva's voice was pleading. "Come on, Severus, stand up."

Professor Sprout was gathering a slightly stirring Ginny Weasley into her arms. "I'm going to take her," she said softly to Flitwick.

"Sev," Minerva was still trying to get her son to get up. "Come on, son, he'll be here any moment. He's going to come for us."

Severus shook his head. It was strange, he thought, that rage wasn't overtaking him. When Lily had died… he'd wanted to kill someone. He had killed people. Voldemort had, again, taken his world from him and this time all he wanted to do was lie down and let the Dark Lord take him too. _It's a shame I won't be with you, Lil, _he thought vaguely. _If I was a better person… take care of our girl._

He slid down the scaly wall, his face coming dangerously close to the blood. The acrid smell of… ink? The acrid smell of ink hit his nose. Red ink. He was sitting in a puddle of red ink.

There was a little blood, from the basilisk cuts, but it was mostly ink.

Then there was a flutter of feathers above him. He dragged his eyes up to see Fawkes, emerging over the tower of snake flesh… with Elizabeth clinging to the bird's feet.

Severus decided that his instincts were failing him entirely. First the lack of fight, and now the inability to stand. He should be running at his daughter, but instead he sagged on the floor while the phoenix delivered her to his side.

"Dad! Are you alright?"

He found his arms full of green-eyed Gryffindor. "Elizabeth," his voice sounded shaky.

"Kitten!" Minerva knelt beside her son and granddaughter. "Are you alright? We heard you scream—

"It wasn't me," Elizabeth shook her head. "It was Voldemort."

Severus flinched.

"I stabbed it," Elizabeth said, letting Minerva pull her to her feet. "The diary, I mean. It bled ink."

Severus managed to get to his feet, pulling his daughter back into his arms, feeling stronger the longer he held her.

"Ginny!" Elizabeth said, looking around wildly.

"Professor Sprout and Flitwick took her," Minerva soothed. "She was talking as they left. She looked like she was going to be fine."

"We need to get you to the Hospital Wing," Severus said, his heart having returned to a normal rate.

"I feel okay, Dad. Fawkes cried on my wound…"

"You're getting checked out," Severus said firmly.

"I'm tired," Elizabeth said, feeling the sudden weight of exhaustion.

"Of course you are," Severus found that channeling his terror into a stern demeanor was the easiest way to go at that moment. "You know better than to lie about your health, young lady. 'I feel okay, Dad'. I should wash your mouth out," he scolded, scooping her up cradling her against his chest. "Your behavior leaves much to be desired," he huffed, striding from the chamber.

"Sorry," she mumbled, halfway to sleep.

"As you should be," he confirmed, as they reached the pipe. Flitwick had left a charmed rope ladder, making their trip up less eventful than the wild slide down.

"Dad?"

"Hmm?"

"Lockhart?"

"Yes," Severus glanced at the bound man on the floor. "I suppose we should transport him to the headmaster's office. Or perhaps just back to his own office to pack his things."

"Finish packing," Elizabeth mumbled.

"Finish?" Minerva pointed her wand at the man and levitated him in from of her as the exited the bathroom.

"He was running away…" Elizabeth yawned.

"Enough talking," Severus said quietly.

"Enough…" Elizabeth succumbed to the overwhelming fatigue, her head securely nestled in Severus' neck.


	13. Boys and Cooking

Elizabeth slept for nearly 14 hours. While she'd been saved from the lethal consequences of the venom, her body was still processing the toxin, not to mention sleeping off the events of the past twelve hours. Severus had tucked her securely into the bed between Ginny and Hermione, the latter slowly waking from her petrified state.

Mr. and Mrs. Weasley fussed over their daughter, each on one side of the bed. Ron was securely wrapped in his mother's arms on her lap as she alternately hugged him and smoothed Ginny's blankets.

"Is this going to be a yearly tradition?" Remus had whispered when he arrived that night. Molly, Ginny, Hermione, and Elizabeth were asleep. Severus was sitting beside Elizabeth's bed, desperately trying to forget all the events of the past several hours. He looked up from where he was picking lint off the blanket.

"It seems that way," Severus grimaced.

Remus sat down on the other side of the bed. "Have you slept?"

"Her life flashed before my eyes," Severus said, not answering the question. "I didn't know that would happen. They say that your own life flashes before you die, but they don't tell you that when you see your child's blood seeping under a basilisk, you see her life."

"She was bleeding?" Remus put his hand on her forehead, as if through that motion he would know where she had been hurt.

Severus shook his head. "I mean, she was, but it wasn't what I saw." He sighed. "I really can't… I don't even know how to communicate."

"Sleep, Sev. I'll stay with her. She's fine, Poppy said so."

"I don't know if I can."

"Drug yourself, Snape. You have a variable pharmacy down there."

Severus shook his head, but Remus brandished his wand. "Do I need to knock you out?"

So Severus went to the Dungeons to sleep, and Remus sat with his goddaughter until the sun came up and she woke, squinting into the light. "Remus?"

"Hey there, Sevling." He smiled down at her. "How do you feel?"

Elizabeth stretched her arm. "A little stiff… better than before though."

"Next time you're going to have a party with murdering psychopaths, I expect to be invited," Remus joked.

"I'll put you on the list."

"Good," Remus smoothed her hair. "Do you need anything?"

"Actually," Elizabeth nodded. "My wand, it's down in the Chamber."

"I'll get it."

"It's on the other side of the snake," she said. "I don't know how you'll—

"I'll get it."

"I just don't want Dad to have to… see it again…"

"Elizabeth," Remus stood. "I said I'd get it. Anything else?"

She smiled a little. "Can you be super careful and get the basilisk's fangs? Dad mentioned once that he could make potions with them, but they are really hard to find."

"Elizabeth Evans, did you just instruct me to be 'super careful'?" Remus mock glared at her.

"Yes, sir."

"So exactly like him," Remus chuckled. "I will be, as you say, 'super careful', and I'll be back soon. I'll take a teacher with me to help."

"Not Lockhart."

"Oh, good thing you stopped me on that one," Remus said sarcastically. Elizabeth grinned as he left the room.

Molly Weasley woke. "Oh, you're awake, sweetheart!" She hugged Elizabeth hard, kissing her cheeks. "Such a brave little girl," she wept.

"I'm okay, Mrs. Weasley, really," Elizabeth said.

"Let her breathe, Mum," Fred's voice came from the door.

"Oh, Fred!" Molly turned to her son. "Is everyone alright?"

"Yeah, Mum, everything's fine. Dad sacked out on the sofa in the common room, but he's going to talk to Dumbledore now. He wants you to meet him in the office."

"Alright," Molly wiped her face. "Will you sit with Ginny?"

"I'll watch her Mum, I promise," Fred assured her.

"Okay," Molly looked at Elizabeth. "I'll be right back." She went into the corridor, still sniffling.

Fred looked at Elizabeth. "Betsy… are you… I mean… you're alright?"

"Yeah," Elizabeth nodded. "Look, Fred, I'm sorry—

"No, I am," he crossed the floor and sat in Severus' vacated chair. "I was worried and I shouldn't have acted like that." He reached out and captured her hand in his. "The whole time you were down there…" He bit his lower lip. "I'm sorry."

Elizabeth sat up. "I almost didn't make it in time," she looked over at Ginny.

"But you did," Fred said firmly. "You did. You saved her." He looked at her arm. "What happened?" He traced the scar with his finger.

"Basilisk fang," she said, as if that kind of thing happened all the time.

"Did it hurt?"

"Not as much…" she trailed off.

"As what?"

"Voldemort…" Fred flinched. "He said things. About you and me. And how you were going to feel when Ginny and I were dead."

Fred, unable to think of a word bad enough to call the Dark Lord, settled for a growl and pulling Elizabeth out of bed and into his lap. "It would have been bad," he said finally.

"Because Ginny's your sister?" Elizabeth looked on her hands entwined with his.

Fred paused. "Because Ginny's my sister," he agreed, pulling her tighter. "And…you're… you know…"

"Ron's best friend?"

"Yeah," Fred shook his head as if arguing with himself. "And you're also, kind of…"

"Ahem," Fred was cut off by Severus, clearing his throat in the doorway. "Mr. Weasley, did you have permission from a Healer to remove my daughter from her bed?"

"No, sir," Fred flushed.

"No?" Severus moved so he was directly beside their chair. "Did you, by any chance, have my permission to be anywhere nearly that close to my daughter?"

"Uh…um…" Fred stammered. "No, sir?"

"Is that a question, Mr. Weasley?"

"No, sir. I mean, yes, I mean, no, sir, I didn't have your permission."

"Then I suppose you should return her to her bed, don't you agree?"

"Yes, sir." Fred released Elizabeth, who took her cue to put herself back in bed.

"You are supposed to be sitting with your sister, are you not, Mr. Weasley?"

"Yes, sir."

"Then you had better get to it," Severus glared at the redheaded boy.

"Yes, sir. Thank you, sir."

_Thank you? _Severus suppressed a smirk as the boy fled to Ginny's bedside, noting that the Gryffindor chose the opposite side, putting as much space between himself and the Potions professor as possible. _So much for Gryffindor courage._

"Where's Hermione?" Elizabeth asked, noticing the bed on her other side was empty.

"In the Tower," Severus supplied, keeping one eye on the Weasley boy.

"Can I get out of here?" She asked plaintively. "I'm not tired anymore."

Severus sighed. "Alright. Your grandfather would like to see you anyway."

***S***S*

"Don't you want to know how Ginny got hold of that diary, Mr. Malfoy?" Elizabeth asked, having stood in the Headmaster's office listening to Lucius babble on about… whatever Malfoys babble about.

"Elizabeth," Severus reminded himself once again to teach Elizabeth the concept of children being seen and not heard.

"How should I know how the stupid little girl got hold of it?" Lucius growled.

"Because you gave it to her," Elizabeth said, glaring at him. "In Flourish and Blotts. You picked up her old Transfiguration book and slipped the diary inside it, didn't you?"

Severus' hand dug into her shoulder.

"Prove it," Malfoy hissed.

"Oh, no one will be able to do that," Albus said, smiling. "Not now that Riddle has vanished from the book. On the other hand, Lucius, you should refrain from giving out any more of Lord Voldemort's old school things. If any were to appear in any innocent hands, I think Arthur Weasley will make sure they are traced back to you."

Lucius' hand twitched toward his cane-encased wand.

"Don't even consider it," Severus said smoothly, casually tapping his wand against one hand.

"We're going, Dobby!"

Lucius wrenched open the door and kicked the house elf through. Elizabeth stood for a moment, then it came to her.

"Professor," she said quickly. "Can I give that diary back to Mr. Malfoy, please?"

"Don't touch that thing," Severus said sharply, but Elizabeth had already grabbed the diary and dashed out of the office. Quickly, not sure her plan would work, and again disregarding Severus' 'think before you act' rule, pulled off one of her shoes and yanked off a sock, stuffing it into the diary.

"Elizabeth Rose!" Severus called after her.

"Right back, Dad!"

Elizabeth caught up to Lucius and Dobby at the top of the stairs.

"Mr. Malfoy," she gasped. "I've got something for you."

She shoved the diary into his hand.

"What the—

Lucius ripped the sock off the diary, threw it aside, then looked furiously from the ruined book to Elizabeth.

"Your father aught to teach you some manners, you little brat," he said softly. He turned to go.

"Come, Dobby. I said, _come_."

But Dobby didn't move. He was holding up Elizabeth's sock, looking at it as though it were a priceless treasure.

"Master has given a sock," said the elf in wonderment. "Master gave it to Dobby."

"What's that?" spat Lucius. "What did you say?"

"Got a sock. Master threw it, and Dobby caught it, and Dobby— Dobby is free."

Lucius Malfoy stood frozen staring at the elf. Then he lunged at Elizabeth. "You've lost me my servant, you nasty little—

"_Impredimenta!"_ Severus shouted, stopping Malfoy in his tracks. He strode up to the gasping man. "Don't ever come near her," he hissed. "When I release you, you'd better get out and stay out, or my next spell won't be so _forgivable_."

"Allow Dobby, Professor Snape, sir." Dobby raised one long finger and Lucius blasted backward, crashing down the stairs. "You shall go now," Dobby intoned. "You shall not touch Elizabeth Evans. You shall go now."

Lucius Malfoy had no choice. With a last, incensed stare at the group on the landing, he swung his cloak around him and hurried out of sight.

Severus glared at his daughter. "I am going to assume that you were emotionally distraught from your ordeal, and that kept you from obeying me."

"That man is an ass," Elizabeth said fiercely, staring after Malfoy.

"While that observation may be correct, it doesn't change that your language is deplorable." Severus grasped her upper arm. "Your mouth is going to get you in trouble, young lady."

He marched her down to his office. "Sit." He pointed to one of the student chairs and sat in his own chair.

"Dad, you should be nice to Fred."

"Elizabeth Rose, has this experience stripped you of all fear of me?"

"I was never afraid of you, Dad. And you should be nice to him."

"That is not what we are talking about right now," Severus said, enunciating each word. He was a silent for a moment, and then the topic seemed to bubble up inside him, despite his desire to change the subject. "You," Severus slapped on hand on the desk and used the other to point a long finger at her, "should not be involved in that kind of relationship."

"What kind of relationship?"

"With a boy."

"Do you want me to be in a relationship with a girl?"

Severus scowled. "On a boy's lap, in public no less. It was unladylike."

"He put me there, Dad. He was scared, he was glad that I was okay."

"I share that sentiment," Severus said quietly. "But I had similar heart failure to the Chamber when I walked in to see my nearly-teenaged daughter very comfortable, alone with an older boy."

"He's not that much older."

"He old enough," Severus snapped. "I don't want to ever see you that close to him or any other boy until you are least 16."

"Do you not like Fred?"

"I like Mr. Weasley as much as I like any 4th year," Severus said tightly. "I'd like him better if he were two years younger and thought that you were a swell Quidditch pal."

Elizabeth giggled at 'swell Quidditch pal'. "So, basically, you want him to be Ron."

"Exactly." Severus shook his head. "I'm not saying you can't be friends, that you can't talk. But I don't want to rush something you aren't ready for."

Elizabeth rolled her eyes and walked around the desk to hug him. "Alright, Dad. You will not see me sitting on Fred's lap for a few years, alright?"

"Thank you." Severus tapped her hip. "You can, however, sit on your father's lap anytime. You can also play with dolls and do finger painting."

"Dad," Elizabeth rolled her eyes again.

There was a knock on the door and Remus came in, wearing dragon-hide gloves and carrying a large bag.

"Am I interrupting?"

"Dad's afraid I'm having sex."

"Elizabeth!"

"Well, you are," Elizabeth shrugged.

Remus shook his head. "I brought your wand," he held it up.

"Did you leave it down in the Chamber?" Severus asked.

"Riddle had it," Elizabeth explained. "And then Fawkes grabbed me before I could get it back."

"The bird must have known that I was having heart failure," Severus said. "Let me see it," he took her wand and scanned it with his own. "It seems fine." He looked at Remus. "How did you get over that thing?"

"It was a pretty intense spell," Remus said. "I'm not sure what he used, but it definitely wasn't _engorgio_. It took Poppy and I twenty minutes to figure out how to reverse it."

"You took Poppy?" Severus raised an eyebrow.

"Well, I was collecting these," Remus laid the bag from his shoulder on the desk. "And your daughter insisted that I be 'super careful', so I thought it was best to have a medical professional right there."

"Collecting what?" Severus opened the bag.

"Careful, Dad."

"Here," Remus handed Severus his gloves. "Use these."

Donning the gloves, Severus started pulling out the bag's contents. Basilisk fangs, and several vials of green venom.

"Elizabeth said you would want them."

"So you do listen," Severus smirked. "Thank you, Remus. I should store all this down in the lab."

Remus shook his head. "Like a kid on Christmas over snake teeth. Come on, Elizabeth. Want to go flying?"

"Dad still has my broom." She dashed to the door of the lab. "Dad?" She shouted down the stairs. "Can I have my broom back?"

Silence.

Elizabeth rolled her eyes at Remus. "He doesn't like it when I yell down. Hold on," she went down the stairs.

"Dad?'

"Yes?" Severus was carefully labeling vials of basilisk venom.

"Remus wants to go flying… could I please, please, please have my broom back?"

Severus raised an eyebrow. "Come over here, Elizabeth."

Elizabeth stood by his side while he washed his hands and dried them before crossing his arms.

"Elizabeth Rose Evans, are you ever going to steal anything, ever again?"

"No, sir."

"Are you ever going to purposefully disrupt my classroom or any other classroom again?"

"No, sir."

"Are you ever going to do something as stupid as brewing a dangerous potion without supervision?"

"No, sir."

"Alright then." Severus raised his wand. "Accio Elizabeth's Broom." It zipped out of the cabinet in the corner and into his hand. Elizabeth reached for it, but he held it back. "You may have this back. You may rejoin the Quidditch team, if your grandmother agrees." He smirked at the thought. As if Minerva would deny her House a chance at the championship. "Your detentions are not over. I will see you in my office, every Tuesday and Thursday after supper until the end of the year."

"Thank you!" She tried to take the broom again but he held it out of her grasp.

"Look at me," he said sternly, waiting until she was looking at him instead of the broom. "If I ever have to take this away for something so egregious again, you won't see it for a much longer amount of time, do I make myself clear?"

"Yes, sir."

"Alright," Severus handed her the broom. "Be careful, mind your godfather. And go easy on him, he's an old man."

"Hey!" Remus' voice came from the top of the stairs. "Wolf ears, here."

"Thank you, Dad." Elizabeth hugged him and ran up the stairs.

Severus watched her go, shaking his head, and returned to his bottling.

***S***S*

The rest of the term passed uneventfully.

Exams were cancelled. "Laziness," Severus muttered when that was announced.

All those involved in the Chamber incident recovered, though Dumbledore also announced that Professor Lockhart had decided to take an indefinite professional leave of absence. No one was concerned but Hermione, who still didn't believe Elizabeth and Ron's account of the Professor's attempted flee from the castle.

As a result, Defense class was cancelled for the rest of the term, which didn't stop Severus from making Elizabeth study Basic Defense Year 2 for an hour three times a week.

Before they knew it, the term was over.

"You know, Dad," Elizabeth said after the feast, serving her last detention in his office, "Ron was babbling on during the announcement of the House Cup. Who won?"

Severus grunted, but didn't answer.

"Seriously, Dad, I didn't hear. Was it Slytherin?"

"Do you want detention over the summer?"

Elizabeth grinned. "I'm finished," she held up the parchment. "I think 1000 lines was excessive."

"I think it wasn't enough," Severus responded, though he was internally impressed by her use of 'excessive'. "Bring them over here, please."

Elizabeth handed him the parchment, and he scanned it.

_I will obey when told to leave the den of murderous Dark Lords._

_I will obey when told to leave the den of murderous Dark Lords._

_I will obey when told to leave the den of murderous Dark Lords._

_I will obey when told to leave the den of murderous Dark Lords._

_I will obey when told to leave the den of murderous Dark Lords._

"Adequate," he declared.

"I couldn't, you know," Elizabeth leaned on the arm of his desk chair. "Leave the Chamber. He would have killed us all. The only reason he hadn't done it yet is because, apparently, Voldemort enjoys playing with his food."

"When did you start talking like you're 35?"

"I'm not _old_, Dad."

"35 is old?" Severus smirked. "Are you ready to take care of me in 2 years when I'm ready for the old folks' home?"

Elizabeth rolled her eyes. "I take care of you now. How is that going to change?"

"Oh, really?" Severus tucked the parchment away. "How about you help me now and go make sure your trunk is packed so I can send it home?"

"Okay," Elizabeth reached for the floo powder.

"What are you doing?"

"I'm flooing to the common room," she said, looking at him like he'd lost his mind.

"Walk, you lazy child! There's no basilisk waiting to kill you."

Elizabeth pulled her hand back. "Fine. Hey, are we going home when you pick me up tomorrow or coming back?"

"Home," Severus said, coming around his desk to usher her to the door. "Lack of exams meant more time to work at the end of the term. Anything else I need to do, I can do at Spinners' End."

***S***S*

"Um… Dad?" Elizabeth examined the charred… something in the pan on the stove. "Where's Francy?"

Severus grimaced. "Hatchling, Francy... is a very old elf."

"Really? It's hard to tell," Elizabeth poked the blackened blob with a fork.

"I promised my mother that I'd retire her when she started to show signs of senility."

"Okay… so… you cooked?"

"You were getting tired of sandwiches." Severus shrugged.

"Hello?" Remus' voice came from the living room. "Anyone home around here?"

"In the kitchen!" Elizabeth called back. "What was…umm… is… this, Dad?"

"Roast beef. It'll be fine when you put the sauce on it."

Remus arrived in the kitchen. "Hey, roast beef," he pulled a fork out of the drawer.

"No!" Elizabeth threw her hands between the "food" and her godfather.

"What?"

"This is ridiculous," Elizabeth said, scowling. "I'm cooking."

"You most certainly are not," Severus shook his head. "You're too young to be dealing with—

"Dad, I've been cooking since I was old enough to reach the stove."

"You don't have to do that here," Severus said firmly.

Elizabeth sighed in exasperation. "Dad, you love me, I get it. Cooking will not bring back bad memories and make me equate you with the Dursleys. It will not give me a feeling of slavery, or whatever you think it will do to my very delicate feelings. There is no chance that me cooking for us will damage our relationship in any way, but there is a strong chance that if you continue to cook we will die of food poisoning or starvation. Okay?"

Remus was doubled over by the end of her monologue. "You were right," he said around the laughter. "Like she's 35. She's been hanging around you too much."

Severus sighed. "It's not that I don't appreciate—

"Remus, could you take him to the living room or something?"

"This is my house, young lady," Severus snapped.

"Yes, and we're going to eat dinner in it, if you leave me alone for about an hour." She poked the blackened meat. "Go away, or I'll order pizza, which will probably be delivered by a Muggle teenager. Those boys can sometimes be chatty—

"Fine," Severus growled. "Fine, I give up." He pointed one long finger at her. "Any emotional disturbance from you—

"I'm only going to be emotionally disturbed if you make me stand in the corner while you eat it," Elizabeth assured him. "I don't mind cooking if I get to eat." She pecked him on the cheek. "Now go away."

"Yes, ma'am," Remus drawled, propelling his friend into the living room. "Goodness she sounds like you."

"No," Severus said, a little smile floating across his face. "She sounds like Lily. Not the vocabulary, that's me, but that motherly bossiness is all Lily. And Lily's mother."

Two games of chess later, Severus had sent several worried looks toward the kitchen.

"It's quiet in there."

"She's fine, Sev," Remus assured. "Listen, she's going to be 13 soon."

"Oh, believe me, I know. Every other word she's said for the last few months has been about how she's 'nearly 13'."

"I know you know, Sev. I'm saying, what should we do? I was thinking, she's so much more stable this year, maybe we could have a party."

"We'll see."

"Okay," Remus grinned. "By 'we'll see", do you mean 'call Albus and have him plan it'?"

"No!" Severus snapped, scowling. "I'll talk to her about it, alright?"

"Are you guys fighting?" Elizabeth stood in the doorway.

"No," Remus said quickly. "Your dad is a just a pain."

"That's not very nice," Elizabeth scolded, putting her arm around Severus' shoulders. "I'm going to eat your garlic bread."

"Garlic bread?" Remus sniffed the air. "I thought I smelled garlic."

The men followed Elizabeth into the kitchen.

"Merlin," Remus breathed. The table was set, salad, spaghetti with red sauce, garlic bread down the middle.

"There's salad dressing and cheese," Elizabeth put small bowls beside the rest of the food as Remus and Severus sat down. "Dig in, I couldn't do a warming charm, so eat it while it's hot."

Two helpings apiece later, Severus and Remus were both eyeing the last piece of garlic bread. "Excellent, Elizabeth, really," Remus praised. "Don't tell Francy, but she wasn't nearly as good a cook."

"I'll never cook again," Severus promised.

"Are you finished?" Elizabeth stood up. "I'll put the leftovers in the fridge."

"That, I can do," Severus waved his wand, the food vanished, and the dirty dishes started washing themselves in the sink.

"Dad, I'm supposed to wash the dishes."

"Not now, you aren't. If you're going to cook, you're going to trade a chore."

"Whatever you say, Dad." Elizabeth shrugged.

"I might really move in here now, Sev," Remus said. "Anyone want to go out for ice cream?"

"I made pudding," Elizabeth rising to pull the dessert out of the refrigerator.

Severus watched her put the pudding on the table. "Elizabeth," he beckoned her to his side and pulled her to sit on his knee. "You're sure—

"Dad!"

"Listen to me," Severus said sharply. "I'm asking you, Elizabeth, and remember that you know better than to lie to me."

"Dad," Elizabeth leaned her head on his shoulder. "Did it ever occur to you that I like being able to do something for you? And that I really want something edible?"

Severus kissed her temple. "Alright, then."

_Not bad for two years_, Severus thought fondly. _Maybe everything really will be alright._


End file.
